Ideally, the parent and the student should meet with the teacher together, to ensure they both hear the same message. But if this has been the pattern throughout elementary school, it won t seem so awkward. In the upper years of high-school, you may no longer feel a need to visit the teacher, but will still want to stay in contact with an occasional note. It is also the parents responsibility to provide an environment at home that is conducive to learning. Proper nutrition, a place to work that is well-lit and quiet is also important.
Some people do enjoy having some background music on, and find it isn t a distraction.
Others need to have a really quiet workplace. This can also vary depending on the task to be completed. I need complete quiet to be creative, but love to have music on for more routine tasks. It is important for the teenager to determine what kind of environment they need, and for the parents to support them in this. Personally, I would only allow a teenager to have a job if their grades are high enough to justify the time spent away from studying.