Are You Listening to the Right Signals for Innovative Academic Struggles Solutions?

Written by: ASE Editorial Team

Education and life’s journey have a lot in common. Two of such are the learners and challenges. But guess what?

Listening to Academic Struggles Clues for Solutions

In education and life, every successful learner must navigate a threshold of challenges to uncover their path to success.

What if academic struggles are not mere obstacles, but stepping stones to innovative solutions leading to something great?

Take Siehea, a bright, creative child who struggled to keep up in math. Her parents initially thought the solution was simple: hire a tutor. They did, and while Siehea's grades improved slightly, her overall frustration and lack of enthusiasm for learning persisted. It wasn’t until they noticed her anxiety about even attending school that they dug deeper. What they discovered was life-changing: Siehea wasn’t struggling with math because she lacked ability—she was overwhelmed by the pressure to perform and a lack of confidence in her abilities.

Would her parents go back and change their initial decision to hire a tutor? Probably not, because even that decision was part of their journey to understanding Siehea better. It wasn’t a wasted effort; it was a step in the process of discovering what Siehea truly needed.

If Siehea hadn’t struggled in math,

-          her parents wouldn’t have questioned what might be happening emotionally.

If they hadn’t explored the emotional layer,

-          they wouldn’t have learned about the anxiety Siehea was facing.

If they hadn’t addressed her anxiety,

-          they wouldn’t have created an environment where she could regain her love for learning.

If they didn't start to think outside the box,

-          they wouldn't have thought about innovative ways to assist their daughter.

This is a pattern you’ll find in many success stories. Growth—whether academic or personal—requires moving through challenges. The failures, the missteps, and even the temporary solutions that don’t fully work are all part of building a deeper understanding of your child’s needs. They are signals to thinking critically, creatively and innovatively.

By the time Siehea’s parents understood the real issue, they had built an arsenal of lessons that helped them support Siehea holistically: a combination of emotional encouragement, personalized learning techniques, and a focus on creating balance in her life.

This isn’t unique to Siehea’s story. It’s the reality for many families navigating academic challenges. Academic struggles is not a sign of failure—they’re opportunities to refine your approach, explore alternatives methods and grow together as a family.

Expert Tip: Listening for academic struggles signals often involves noticing both subtle and more obvious signs. Here are some key signals that a parent or teacher can listen for:

Identifying subtle and unsubtle signs of academic struggles enables parents and teachers to provide the necessary support for students facing challenges.

WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT MY CHILD OR STUDENT?

Offering support in manageable chunks, be patient, and celebrate progress are good places even if it's small. Sometimes, just offering encouragement and practical strategies can help a child gain confidence.

My THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: How To Handle Academic Struggles will teach you innovative solutions to handle academic struggles. It's a sustainable approach to help your child handle academic struggles, learn more independently and have fun at the same time. Think about it this way: when your child develops self-confidence and new perspective about school, they can move beyond the causes of their struggles to enjoy school, learn and succeed without intervention. 

The change process for some children will be quick and easy through this learning stage while other children will have a harder time. Remember that children and students are different and unique; also remember that you've not done nothing wrong. Believe it or not, students scoring 'As' and 100% do experience academic struggles. Past and present methods that you're using to support your child or student to handle academic struggles will still have a positive impact in the long-run. Remember it's a marathon and not a sprint! Be patient with yourself and your learner. Celebrate milestones no matter how small.

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Remember: Blog content and information on the website are for informational purposes and therefore should not be considered as medical advice. Please reach out to your doctor or school counsellor if you have questions about your child.