If your teenager is not performing up to their potential at school, what to do: Number one, understand that's a very complex problem, there could be 20 different explanation about what's going on. But do understand that your child is built to succeed, that kids who are failing actually invest energy and failing is at it weird as it sounds. it is a tough path, they pay a lot of dues to be seen as the stupid kid, the loser have all the disapproval. Why are they doing it, you need to figure out. Step 1, contact the school, often they have great intervention teams that will sit down and get the teachers together, maybe do a psychological assessment of the child to be sure there is no learning disability. To be sure that they don't have a social, emotional issue going on. Next, look at your child general health profile, how much sleep are they getting at night? Typically they are getting half the sleep they need to get, how would you do on half of your sleep? Next look at diet, exercise over all lifestyle, these can be gain changers in terms of helping a child to do better at school. Finally, and I get hate mail on the shrinks on these, don't hesitate to bribe your child. When your kid say's that Geometry is boring and irrelevant to his lifestyle, don't argue that, don't tell him how many time you use Geometry. Affirm his feelings, say "I get that, I remember thinking the same way in school, they just seem so stupid and useless, tell you what I do, what if I pay you to do Geometry. Every night you get you homework done, let me see it. I will give you extra amount of money at the end of the week, if we get a positive report from the teacher, that's payday, you get another bonus cause I understand that it is boring and irrelevant and as your parent I also know that some of these subject will be relevant to what you chose to do in adulthood, you just don't know which ones is going today so I have to ask you to do well to all of them.