5 Common Reasons Teens Flunk Out Of School
Students at Sundance Canyon Academy earn high school class credits while enrolled in our program. Our trained therapists help students overcome the common hurdles to education and emphasize the importance of following through with responsibilities. Students at our residential treatment center learn critical life skills while earning their high school diploma. Contact us today to find out if our school is a good fit for your teen son.
As a parent, it is excruciating to see your child struggle in school and fail their classes. Some children struggle with school from Kindergarten all the way through high school. Others seem to do very well when they are young but start to struggle as they get older. It is especially difficult to watch as teenagers transition from middle school to high school and start to falter. Understanding why teens flunk out of school can help you guide your teen through their high school years to receive their diploma.
Common reasons teens flunk out of school
Teens flunk out of school for a variety of reasons. Some reasons are easier to correct than others, but they all require purposeful correction if the student is going to get back on track and earn their high school diploma. Here are the top five reasons that teens flunk out of school and what you can do to correct it.
Poor time management skills
Learning time management skills is very difficult for some children. If they procrastinate doing their work or spend more time playing than studying, they’re not likely to complete their work on time. You may need to step in to help them learn how to manage their time. This could include creating a daily schedule with them, creating a homework plan with them, or even setting punishments for failing to complete their work on time. While it’s important that your teen feel the consequences of their choices, it’s also important that they learn how to manage their time before they reach adulthood.
Having a defeatist mindset
If your teen has struggled in school their whole life, they may have adopted negative thinking patterns about their scholastic ability. They might see the whole academic experience as one giant failure and see no hope in ever succeeding. Having a defeatist mindset can lead them to stop trying altogether. If that’s the case, help them see the things that they have done well and create a plan for success.
Fear of failure
It might seem counterintuitive that teens flunk out of school because they are afraid of failing, but it’s all too common. People of all ages feel vulnerable when they try to learn something new and then risk failure. If they actually try to learn the material and fail, they feel inadequate. It’s much easier to quit without trying than to feel the vulnerability associate with the risk of failure. Help your child learn that it’s OK to fail at things. Learning to bounce back from failure is key to getting back on track in high school.
Lacking self-reliance
Growing up, children rely on their parents and teachers to help them keep track of assignments and homework. As teens transition into high school, their teachers start to back off a little bit and give more responsibility to the students. Students have to step up and be a little more self-reliant in completing their assignments and preparing for tests without an authority figure demanding it of them. Your teen might need help stepping into their new role and learning how to be more self-reliant.
Not caring
This is probably the toughest obstacle to overcome. When teens stop caring about graduating from high school, it is difficult to make them do their work. Talk to your teen about the importance of graduating and earning their high school diploma. If they used to care about school when they were younger, ask them what changed. Some teens stop caring about school because other things become more important to them. Others stop caring because they have given up on school and want to move on. Talk to your teen to address the root cause of their apathy.
Many teens who struggle in traditional school settings flourish at a therapeutic boarding school. The counselors and therapists on-site help the students address the primary issues that cause trouble in school. While enrolled in the school, students also participate in classes that count toward their high school diploma. If you are worried that your teen son might flunk out of school, contact us to find out if our therapeutic boarding school could get him back on track to graduate.