Five Tips for Rescuing Bad Grades
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
Five Tips For Rescuing Bad Grades
Sometimes parents call us with some bad news: their student is failing one or more classes. When we jump in to help, here’s what we do right off the bat:
Affirm the student (and parents) that it’s going to be ok. Low grades can be stressful, but with a step-by-step plan, it’s easy to get them back on track. Many students who are embarrassed about their grades have sunk into a spiral and don’t want to face the work they have to do. The first step to solving any problem is to identify it.
Set up meetings with teachers. Sometimes the student does this, sometimes the parent; regardless, communication is key when trying to rescue poor grades. Most teachers do NOT want their students to fail, and working with them is key to getting as many points back as possible.
Eliminate 0s. Any missing or incomplete assignment that counts as a 0 in the gradebook is sinking the grade. Even getting half the points back can get a grade out of the 40-50% range: in fact, most of the time it can get grades up to a C or higher.
Set up a plan for retaking tests and turning in missed assignments. This will probably be a lot of work for the student, but once there’s a plan it will be easier to schedule when and where to do the makeup work.
Start as soon as possible. Some students think extra credit opportunities will save them, but they don’t. Working with the teacher as early as possible to regain those points will not only help spread the work out, but help the student develop a relationship with the teacher. Teachers who feel they are being listened to, respected, and communicated with are much more likely to feel helpful.
As stressful as low grades can be, helping to alleviate that stress by creating a plan of action is one of our favorite ways to help families. If you’d like some assistance, email Nathaniel at nathaniel@kingfisherprep.com and we’ll set up a meeting to discuss!
"Five Tips for Rescuing Bad Grades"
Comments