"Virtually everyone has waded through hardships this past year — job losses, relationship struggles, chronic stress and, in the worst of all cases, the loss of loved ones to Covid-19. And parents with school-age children have battled the demands of combining their usual work and family responsibilities with at least some degree of home-schooling.
"But mothers and fathers of middle schoolers — the parenting cohort long known to researchers as the most angst-ridden and unhappy — are connecting now in a specific sort of common misery: the pressing fear that their children, at a vital inflection point in their academic and social lives, have tripped over some key developmental milestones and may never quite find their footing again.
"Experts say some of their worries are justified — but only up to a point. There’s no doubt that the pandemic has taken a major toll on many adolescents’ emotional well-being. According to a much-cited report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of emergency room visits that were mental health-related for 12 to 17 year olds increased by 31 percent from April to October 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. And there’s no question that witnessing their loneliness, difficulties with online learning and seemingly endless hours on social media has been enormously stressful for the adults who care about them the most."
However, she goes on to write:
"Despite all of this, Ms. Fagell [a therapist, school counselor and the author of the 2019 book 'Middle School Matters'], much like the dozen-plus other experts in adolescent development who were interviewed for this article, was adamant that parents should not panic — and that, furthermore, the spread of the 'lost year' narrative needed to stop. Getting a full picture of what’s going on with middle schoolers — and being ready to help them — they agreed, requires holding two seemingly contradictory ideas simultaneously in mind: The past year has been terrible. And most middle schoolers will be fine."
Keep reading HERE to see why she and others think that students this age are "extra-primed for adaptability and resilience" and how the way that caring adults tell the story of the past year will be a big part of how the students see themselves.
And please consider taking, or letting others know about, our Parenting for Academic Success Course, which starts this week!
We are excited to announce that Learning Revolution (and Classroom 2.0 and Library 2.0) will be hosting an ONLINE version of the much-sought-after course:
Parenting For Academic Success (and Parental Sanity)
REGISTER HERE
This course is a five-part series of classes co-taught by Greg Smith and Chris Loper. Chris will share the key ideas from psychology and neuroscience that are most relevant for parents, while Greg will discuss how to apply this knowledge at home. Meanwhile, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and you’ll be given pre-class journaling questions, supplemental readings, and additional resources to support the course material.
“This parent seminar is like no other. Understanding the learning process and the development of executive functions is a component of parenting that is often overlooked. Greg and Chris are exceptionally skilled at what they do and amazing communicators. In this seminar, they provide a baseline of information that will help any parent become more empathetic and knowledgeable as they help guide these wonderful young persons in developing their own independence and confidence. This seminar applies to so much more than just academics – it applies to life skills.”
–Jenifer Dobson (More testimonials below...)
Your Instructors
The Classes
#1 Psychology and Neuroscience Essentials
- The history of the human brain as it relates to academic success
- Brain health: the effects of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and technology
- Positive psychology: encouraging mental health and success
- Leading by example: the importance of modeling healthy habits
#2 Growth Mindset Parenting
- The dynamic human brain: how the brain changes and grows
- Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset
- Growth-minded language
- Leading by example: the growth-minded lifestyle
- Cultivating healthy self-esteem and self-efficacy
#3 Studying and Learning
- Test anxiety: where does it come from and what can we do about it
- What is “studying?”: learning techniques and memory formation
- Problem-solving: technique, strategy, and the value of real breaks
- Technology: distractions, multitasking, and tech-addiction
- The pursuit of mastery and love of learning: curiosity and depth vs. grade management
#4 Behavioral Change and Productivity
- Realism: how change actually happens
- Using willpower wisely: habits, strategies, and reminders
- Self-perception: how outer change drives inner change
- Procrastination: why we do it and how to do it less
- Perfectionism: moving away from debilitating all-or-nothing thinking
#5 Cultivating Executive Function
- Park the helicopter: how micromanaging hinders development
- Skinned knees: what kids learn when they’re allowed to fail
- Coaching vs. teaching: encouraging resourcefulness and independence
- Talking with your child about school: navigating the emotional difficulties of academic conversations
- Active agent vs. passive victim: blame, parental language, and cultivating responsibility
If you miss a class, we will provide you with a recording of the lecture, but in order to maintain the privacy of the families who attend, we will not be recording the Q&A.
Dates and Times
Thursday evenings 7:00 - 9:00 pm US-Pacific Time (PDT) beginning 7/22/2021 and ending 8/19/2021.
Cost & Registration
$299 per family (a set of parents and/or guardians). Space is limited, so please let us know right away that you’d like to reserve a spot. To reserve your spot, please register here:
If you need to pay by check, please email admin@learningrevolution.com and we'll hold the reservation and send an invoice. Please send questions to admin@learningrevolution.com.
Other Testimonials
“I took the parenting course in summer 2019 and learned so much about how the developing brain, growth mindset, and the importance of modeling (as opposed to managing), and much more. I still have my notes and refer back to them periodically. I highly recommend the course for anyone interested in supporting their children as they grow into lifelong learners.”
–Caitlin Moulding
“Chris and Greg’s parent seminars are not to be missed! In a short time, I became more savvy about myself and my kids as learners. Their coaching tips aim to reduce parent-child conflict by leveraging current research on the brain and descriptive stories of their students. I highly recommend their seminars for parents of all kids!”
–Vicki Pettiross
"We attended Northwest Educational Services’ parent seminar series in 2019 - the content was highly relevant and well presented, and the welcoming setting provided us the opportunity to engage directly with expert educators and other parents. As parents of middle and elementary school students, we were able to relate to the information shared, and apply the seminar’s concepts directly into our own family interactions and dynamics. We look forward to attending again this year.”
–Jill Nolton
"We are the fortunate parents of twin daughters, both with unique-to-them strengths and challenges in the learning environment. No one-size-fits-all approach for us. We were looking for some coaching to sort out the best ways to give each daughter the specific support they needed to be successful in their school environments. The Parenting for Academic Success classes we took through NWES provided us with that and more.
"Coaches Greg and Chris spoke to all learning types, teaching parents how to encourage their kids to identify and articulate what they needed, and how to ask for it, so that they could become independent drivers of their own academic success. Once we began to implement some of the tools we learned, both of our students began to, more and more readily, reach out for help from resources beyond us (other students, academic coaches, school tutors, and teachers) and do so in a timely manner, before test anxiety or project panic set in.
"We also learned new tools to support both daughters in becoming more consistent in their study habits. Instead of ‘cramming’ the night before an exam, the girls began to develop habits which vastly reduced last-minute, stress-driven studying.
"Our daughters have now transitioned to great-fit universities where they are happy, engaged, independent, and consistently experiencing academic success.
"Greg and Chris brought their combined years of expertise coaching students at all grade levels, and advising parents who desire to support student success, and shared concrete, well informed, research based, ground tested, information and strategies that aided us in our efforts to support our unique learners. We cannot recommend them highly enough."
-Kelly and Steve Nolan Shafer
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