Teacher tips ensure student success for new school year Published Aug. 12, 2008 By Lt Col. Michael Deibert 305th Services Squadron McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Hey, parents! It's almost that time of year again -- time when your students are going back to school. In past years, I've written about tips you can use to ensure your school-age children will have a successful school year. This year, however, I'd like you to do something a little different. Stop reading, and have your students finish reading the rest of this article. That's because I'd like to speak directly to them about how they can have a great year in school! Hey, students! It won't be long before you're back in class, seeing old friends, and hitting the books again! Summer vacation is almost over, and it's time to think about ways you can make your school year, this school year, a huge success! Here are eight ways to get to that point: 1. Prepare. Get your brain in shape by getting at least eight hours of sleep a night! Eat a good breakfast before you start school, and don't skip lunch! Both your body and brain need rest, fuel and water to work efficiently. And when that happens, it's easier to learn! 2. Organize. Keep a large-ring binder for all your classes or individual notebooks for each class. Cover your textbooks, and write the title or subject on the cover. Take at least two working pencils or pens, along with your materials, into every class. If you need help getting organized, ask your parents or a sibling for help. Being and staying organized is a valuable skill one can learn at an early age, and a skill that will be useful during a lifetime! 3. Engage. Approach each class, each subject, with a willingness to learn and a thirst for knowledge. Instead of thinking, "Why do I have to learn this?" or "When will I ever use this in my life?", challenge yourself to make connections between what you learn and the "real world", and ask thoughtful, respectful questions if you don't understand or disagree with what the teacher is saying. Your attitude determines your altitude! 4. Participate. The learning experience can be so much more than the seven or eight subjects you study each day. Join a club, try out for a sports team, get involved in an after-school activity -- the people you meet and the fun you have will give you a lifetime of great memories! 5. Prioritize. Watch out -- if you have too many outside or extracurricular activities (part-time job, sports, lessons, etc.), you might shortchange your learning experience. You need time to do homework, and your mind needs free, unstructured time. If your schedule wears you down, talk with your parents to see how you can balance things out. Quality, not quantity, is the key to a satisfying life! 6. Discuss. Talk with your parents about what you're learning or doing in school. Speak with your teachers if you're having trouble, or if you want to do some extra work in an area that interests you. Give your parents any information the school sends home for them. Encourage them to attend teacher conferences, and keep your folks in the loop with progress reports, report cards, or other issues. How well you do in school goes a long way in proving that you're ready for more privileges! 7. Persevere. This is a fancy word for sticking with something, or hanging in there. Is math impossible to learn? Keep at it -- study more, ask for a peer tutor or stay after school for extra help. The truth is that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Don't give up if the going does get tough! 8. Finally, enjoy. School and related activities should be fun. This doesn't mean that things will always be easy, but it's important to find joy in what you're doing. How you look at things and how you approach them, will determine your success or failure, pleasure or pain. Well, young people, thanks for reading these eight tips. Think about them and how you can make these tips work for you. Our strength as a free nation depends upon an educated society, so do your part to be the best possible students you can. And have a great school year! Lt. Col. Michael Deibert is a junior high school German and English teacher and coach in the Exeter Township, Penn., School District, and has been teaching for more than 30 years. In addition, he served as an advanced English teacher and academic director this summer at the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers Language Academy '08, a NATO-affiliated military language school, in Istanbul, Turkey.