Thirteen years. From the first day of kindergarten to the last day of senior year, that is how long a student spends in school—more than 2,300 school days. Few stretches of life shape a young person as much.
That is why I wrote Maximizing Your K–12 Experience: A Guide to Succeeding in School, and why I have just finished a fully revised 2026 edition. It is now available in paperback.
Who it’s for
Everyone who has a hand in a student’s success: students themselves, parents and families, teachers, counselors and administrators. You don’t have to read it front to back. Each chapter stands on its own.
What’s inside
- Setting SMART goals and building a study plan that actually gets used
- Parents and teachers working as partners—and what to do when there’s a problem
- Study and test-taking strategies backed by research, not myths
- Using technology and AI tools wisely
- Sleep, health and self-care, with the warning signs every family should know
- Activities, friendships, bullying and how to report a safety concern
- Planning for college, careers, trades, apprenticeships and the military
- Paying for it: the FAFSA, grants, scholarships and a first-year budget
Every chapter ends with a short Put It to Work checklist. At the back are eight fill-in worksheets, including a SMART goal planner, a parent-teacher conference prep sheet, a test-day checklist and a grade-by-grade college and career timeline.
Why it matters to me
My work has always come back to one belief: students learn best when they feel safe, known and supported. Safety is the floor every school is built on. Success is what we build on top of it. This guidebook is about the building.
— Robert Eugene Jordan
Maximizing Your K–12 Experience: A Guide to Succeeding in School (Revised Edition, 2026) is available in paperback on Amazon for $14.99.