The Learning Center was founded on current educational research and educational models targeting brain-based learning, human information processing, and the effects of culture on learning. As professional educators, we continuously investigate current research to improve the quality of our work at the center.

Teachers:
Teachers include Mr. Marty Brodsky (English/mathematics/science) and Mrs. Nancy Davidson (mathematics/science), and Mrs. Cindy Ellis (social studies/English).

Variations in Academic Strategies among Students
Satisfactory academic strategies are critical to student success across all learning situations. It is often easy to spot students with good strategies from those with poor strategies.
Students with good academic strategies are likely to use the Learning Center for periodic tutoring. For example, perhaps a lesson was too fast for the student to make necessary connections with prior knowledge. Or, the student missed several days of class due to illness. In either case, tutoring is usually sufficient.
Students with poor academic strategies typically respond to new assignments with a “fight” (“I am not doing this junk.”) or “flight” (“I can’t do this junk.”) attitude. In addition, some disciplinary issues, feelings of boredom, and problems of low motivation are often due to the lack of adequate strategies. Insufficient strategies often leave students feeling as if they have no control over the situation. These students may not even know how to begin attempting an assignment because they never learned how. Finally, tutoring these students is likely to become a daily habit because of personal insecurities.

Goals of the Learning Center

• To provide students with an awareness of the unlimited capacity and unlimited potential of their brain.
• To evaluate and then enhance the efficiency of a student’s current academic strategy.
• To develop metacognitive awareness and acceptance that every student thinks and learns in a different way and at a different rate from another student.
• To build student academic self-confidence through self-regulated learning

What Students Need to Bring With Them to the Learning Center

Students need three items when coming to the Learning Center:
1. A pass from a teacher/guidance counselor/administrator
2. Student ID card
3. Homework and all materials needed to complete the assignment

Upon arriving at the Learning Center, the student is required to turn in the green pass, sign in, and scan their I.D. card through the Student Trakker. Once inside the Learning Center, the student may be seated and begin work. A teacher will assist the student shortly.

Students may use any of the 40 computers located in the Learning Center for written assignments. Additionally, each computer is Internet accessible for academic research only. Email, chatrooms, and other nonacademic “surfing” takes space away from students in need of doing class-related research.

How can you help your child succeed in school and in life?

Your teenager is running in different directions—talk about being able to multitask! School, sports, friends, hobbies, and maybe a job take up many of their hours each day! However, teenagers need help juggling so many activities at once. Your role as a parent is to ensure that school always comes first.

	Treat school like a job. At work and at school, students are expected to show up on time, dress appropriately, and get plenty of rest in order to do their best work.
	Set aside the same time every evening for homework. Require your teenager to set aside a minimum of 60 to 90 minutes each evening for homework. Be creative! A bowl of popcorn with a glass of juice with soft music playing in the background can create an enjoyable and relaxing environment for homework. If no homework has been assigned, ask your child to read over class notes or read a novel.
	Let your teenager teach YOU! One of our freshmen students said that they practiced studying for finals by “teaching” her father algebra. She said this experience helped her understand concepts at a much deeper level. Let your child read their class notes to you while you are driving the car or preparing a meal. This activity is also great self-confidence builder!
	Emphasize good attendance! Try to schedule appointments AFTER school hours. Plan family vacations when school is out.

Parents are a Child’s First Teachers
Can you answer this trivia question?

According to Dr. Robert Brooks of Harvard Medical School, what is the number one reason why high school students ditch school, misbehave in class or at home, and quit school?
The answer? Fear of making mistakes.

Mistakes are equated with failure. Failure is equated with feelings of stupidity and inadequacy, which in turn lend to feelings of embarrassment or humiliation.
According to Maslow’s instinctoid need for safety, human beings seek both physical and emotional safety. We prefer to experience positive “safe” feelings and strongly avoid situations, like making mistakes that invoke negative “unsafe” emotions.
Imagine being told to get up in front of your friends at work to sing in front of everyone. Some adults, especially those, who can not sing well, would feel terrified at the risk of failing or looking stupid in front of colleagues!

Students who feel stupid or embarrassed react in a variety of ways. Some turn to anger and misbehave in class. They would rather be a “bad ass” in front of peers instead of a “dumb ass.” Other students react by becoming withdrawn and depressed. Consequently, students may perceive the classroom as a place, which invokes strong negative feelings. The school experience may be threatening to their fragile self-confidence. Students emotionally shut down, close their minds, and lose hope in themselves as successful students.

Only YOU can make your child feel emotionally safe and secure when completing tasks from chores at home to homework.

As a parent, find at least one strength in your child and make them feel as though they impact you. Teenagers are happier when they feel as though their parent or teacher NEEDED their presence each day in order to function effectively each day.
Positive experiences increase feelings of personal emotional safety. Remove the fear of failure from your child.
Share your own personal experiences as a high school student. Describe some of your most miserable failures and how you felt. Were you ashamed? Humiliated? Angry? Did you ever feel despair when you were a high school student? Describe how you dealt with those failures. How did you get over the humiliation or despair? How did such significant events impact you? When you show students your human side, then becoming like you, the intelligent adult, seems more achievable to them. Keep your message short and sweet so they do not feel as though you are nagging. Believe it or not, most teenagers like to hear your personal stories!