Parents of Hardworking Teens

Ep. 106  When we talk about study success, we tend to instantly think about grades, results and report cards. But we all know that it’s not really about the numbers and letters. It's about what opportunities they lead to and the confidence they create. Sometimes it's more about your teen living up to and realising their potential. And sometimes, it’s purely about making study a smooth, e...

Ep. 105 - Assignments, assessments and projects - what are they really about and wanting from your teen? Because I can tell you now, their DT design assignment is not really about the item they’re designing. And that historical artefact project is not really about the historical artefacts. And the elements that I see a lot of students getting caught up in and spending a lot of time and effort deli...

Ep. 104 - Rant warning! I see various educational posters stuck up on classroom walls  and study skills handouts folded in the back of students’ exercise books. But they're almost NEVER being explicitly and intentionally taught the concepts, or trained in the skills and strategies printed on them. In my opinion, this can actually be more detrimental than not having them at all. Because studen...

- Ep. 103 - What impresses your teen's teachers and gets gold stars and glowing comments in Y7 and 8 is NOT the same as what gets top grades and great results in Senior assessments. What's considered 'awesome' changes from 'going over and above' to 'being clear and concise'. This means that what your teen puts time and effort into, also needs to change as yo...

- Ep. 102 - If your teen has had the experience of: - doing great one minute, or maybe one term, - but then not so great the next, - and it’s not because they just didn’t study, or put in any effort, then join me as I explain what might well be going on to cause their inconsistent results AND what to do about it. If you found this episode helpful, you might also like: Episode 6: If Your Teen'...

- Ep. 101 - Exams are not just testing subject knowledge. So, if your teen has good subject knowledge, but isn’t quite nailing it in exams, then they likely need to work on their exam technique. Here are FIVE reasons why exam technique - the ability to work out exactly what the question is asking and how to respond - should be on your teen’s ‘must master this’ list this term. FEATURED ON THE SHOW:...

Ep. 100 - Special episode! How to help your teen become a Rock Solid Student, who’s happy, smart and successful in their study - BINGO game-show style! Get your free bingo card resource HERE > www.rocksolidstudy.com/100 FEATURED ON THE SHOW: Epsiode 1: The Study Success Formula Episode 73: Not All Stress is Bad Follow Rock Solid Study on Facebook Follow Rock Solid Study on Instagram Get your te...

Is it possible to balance academic ambition, hard work and pressure with wellbeing and a healthy life balance? I believe so. In fact, I believe they are interconnected in a positive way, as opposed to one being at the expense of the other. Understandably and importantly, there are more societal messages taking a 'softer' approach to results, academic pressure and work in general. But, in...

Ep. 98 - Being 'busy' with ineffective study activity is not just a problem because it saps your teen's time and energy. It also creates a false sense of security about how much effort, time and study they've put in, and therefore what result they might expect from it. Listen in for three ways your teen might be looking or feeling 'busy' with things that are contribut...

Ep. 97 - It took four years of full time teaching - including a National Teaching Award, Head of Department role, Head of Faculty leadership and more - before I finally saw 'the gap' that exists in education and, in particular, exams and assessment. There was one specific event that shone a spotlight on it. And it wasn't in the classroom or even within the school. Listen in to find...

Ep. 96 This is a story from a consult I had recently with a student who’d just completed the 10WGT and they happened to mention something super-cool that happened, that I don’t think they realised was as big a deal as it is.  Because the feedback they got from their teacher that turned from an initial criticism to  a 'reluctant' compliment, I think is in fact the ULTIMATE compliment.  Th...

Ep. 95 - Feedback on a draft is an excellent opportunity to up-level and learn about how to achieve higher level criteria. But I've seen LOTS of instances where students feel annoyed, confused or deflated by the feedback they receive (or sometimes lack of it). Has your teen ever been frustrated by the feedback they've received on a draft assignment or coursework? There are some things th...

Ep. 94 - I've said it a thousand times: Exams are not just testing your teen's subject knowledge. This recent senior formal Maths exam I was supervising proves it!   There are six elements of exam technique and one of them was explicitly highlighted during the preliminary verbal set up for students given by the school's Head of Department for Mathematics. Listen in to hear exactly w...

Ep. 93 -  Exams, assignments, essays... every piece of internal assessment and coursework goes through rigorous and specific stages in being written, developed and finalised, whether it's through the school or an exam board. Why does this matter to you and your teen? Because knowing how and where the task is coming from is SUPER-useful when it comes to your teen completing it smoothly, confid...

Ep. 92 - How to find and then solve for the issue, missing piece or weakness that - when fixed - will create the BIGGEST improvement for your teen and their study, results and confidence. Listen in to discover: The most common weak link for many students   Why it's letting down the rest of their study AND  How to fix it! PLUS! If you find this episode helpful, you might also like: Episode 1:...

Ep. 91 - 'More confidence' is by far the most common thing parents tell me they want for their teen in their study. So, why are so many students lacking confidence when it comes to essays, exams and assignments? Listen in to discover: The 3 parts of the confidence spiral and how they can build up or knock down your teen's study confidence   5 things to look for that'll tell you...

Ep. 90 -  'If we don't try, we can't fail' is what our survival brain tells us. In other words, not trying feels ‘safer’ emotionally and mentally, than trying and 'failing'. However, in reality, that's not the case. Not trying is guaranteeing we won't achieve the outcome. We tell ourselves that because we didn't try, we haven't failed. We haven&apo...

Ep. 89 -  Why is it hard for your teen to change the way they study - even if that way is far from ideal?  Like always going over the word limit and then having almost as much time again culling. Like leaving things to the last minute and being in a stress and panic and up late at night trying to finish.  Like copying out heaps of study notes, or doing tons and tons of research, knowing that it’s...

Ep. 88 - Eddie Woo has been dubbed 'the Maths Teacher every student wishes they had in High School' and his 'WooTube' channel, jam-packed with real high school Maths lessons, has over a million subscribers. So, if Maths is your teen’s favourite subject - and especially if it ISN’T - this episode is for you. YOU WILL LEARN: Why it's never too late for your teen to get into...

Ep. 87 -  This episode comes from an 'Ask Me Anything' Live Q&A, where we covered: > Since when did English turn into Politics? > Is this really studying or just 'pleasing the teachers'? > How do you make revision notes brief without losing important information? > Live break down of a real English essay question. And more! FEATURED ON THE SHOW: Full list of wha...

Ep. 86 - Hurdles and stuck points can be turned into positive progress. Here's how: Identify the hurdles  and then the solutions to overcome them become the 'How-To'. The stuck points actually become the steps to completing a task or any project, rather than an added burden or frustration.  They ARE part of the process.   This episode includes an exclusive free resource! Download an...

Ep. 85 - Taking notes in an efficient and effective way is key to good research, learning and revision. Here are 4 things you DON'T want your teen doing when they're taking or making notes. FEATURED ON THE SHOW: Episode 30: If It's Not Difficult, It's Not Doing Anything Episode 52: Active Revision Follow Rock Solid Study on Facebook Follow Rock Solid Study on Instagram Have you...

Ep. 84 - When we want to create an outcome or result that someone else has already achieved, it can be a great idea to copy, model or emulate what they did to get there. However, not everything that happens on the way to achieving a goal is actually contributing positively to the desired outcome. Is a result or outcome achieved because of or despite certain circumstances or actions along the way?...

Ep. 83 - "There's no right or wrong answers!" declared by the teacher as if it's a good thing. As if that's helpful. Argh - I hated hearing that as a student and, to be honest, still hearing that today as a teacher and examiner who does know how to deal with those types of questions, it’s still not helpful. It doesn’t give any direction or guidance.  And actually - there c...

Ep. 82 - Here are my three bold predictions of what assessment and exam questions will and won't look like for your teen this year, and what I hope are some helpful insights to have them approach them with more confidence and less confusion. You will learn: What no question will ever ask - even though lots of students try to answer it! What proportion of mark schemes are directly related to s...