Did you grow up hearing, “you get what you get, and you don’t get upset?” Or maybe a different version, “you get what you get and don’t throw a fit.”
There are reasons we teach our kids to be quiet and accepting, but as they mature, they must begin to question things. Asking questions helps us learn and grow.
Last week, at the dinner table, my 10th grader mentioned he is taking French for his foreign language requirement. His older brother, Donnie, was perplexed. He thought Spanish was required for everyone in high school and wished he had known that before graduation.
Much to my and my husband’s confusion, we asked Donnie, “Didn’t you know you could ask to take a different language?” He said “no”; he thought he had to take whatever course they gave him.
Our sons have very different personalities. Since that conversation, I’ve had dozens of “what if” and “I wonder” moments.
In school, we are given our courses and told to do our homework. Sometimes we forget that our teens are unaware that in high school, course options begin to open up. Depending on how your teen’s school handles scheduling, your teen’s initial schedule doesn’t have to be their final schedule.
Here are some questions your teen should ask in high school:
- How do I best plan out my four years of high school?
- Is this class a requirement for graduation?
- How many credits do I need to graduate?
- What alternatives do I have for this course, and what are the benefits of each option?
- What is dual enrollment, and is it an option for me?
- How can I improve my grades throughout the semester?
Ask your teen if they know the answers to these questions. Encourage them to find the answers. Doing so will help them learn to ask questions while having a solid high school “road map” to a future career.
Despite Donnie’s Spanish class, he did well in school. We also knew before he graduated that college wasn’t his next step. Does your teen have high school figured out and a potential next step?
When we worked with Fiona, a high school junior, she didn’t know what was next. She knew she wanted to go to college and do something creative. College dreams are great, but they can become costly quickly if you don’t know what to study.
In working with Fiona, she determined she wanted to pursue a career in Interior Design. Not only that, but It also turned out her high school had an interior design course that she took her senior year, giving her a taste of that field of study.
The pieces don’t fall together as smoothly as Fiona’s for every student. But, it’s easier to follow a path instead of trying to make one blindly.
There are thousands of post-high school options, and choosing one can become overwhelming. Together we can find the path that makes high school graduation and your teen’s future a little easier.
There’s no fee for a consultation call. Schedule your call today for a brighter tomorrow for your high school student.