When you've talked to your teenager recently, does it seem that academics got lost somewhere between the Xbox, the MP3 player, the living room couch, and adolescence? Does it feel like you have to pull teeth or brace for a fight every time the subject of missing homework and failing grades comes up? If you're nodding yes, maybe it's time to consider a change of pace for your teen's less than enthusiastic approach to school.

When the going gets tough
Let's face it. Public schools aren't always the best place for students who aren't motivated, or who are more interested in hitting the local skate park than attending class. They may be lost in the shuffle, confused by the varying social cliques and values that fill the halls each morning, or just plain don't care. Whatever the reason, adolescence is hard enough for some kids, without throwing in the inevitable lack of direction and identity that many teens feel.

Of course, being a bit lackadaisical is part of being a teenager, so don't jump straight to military school as a solution for one bad semester. You really need to see a problem developing, one that might indicate rebellion that's just a bit beyond the norm, a negative attitude towards school and authority, and a steady decline in performance and motivation. Military school can be a great intervention to shape up a flailing adolescent before things really get out of hand.

The tough get going
Ask just about any expert on child development and they'll tell you that structure does great things for kids. (In fact, it does good things for people in general). In its simplest form, structure provides a system of rewards and consequences for behavior in a consistent and predictable manner. By doing so, it eliminates confusion about what's acceptable or expected. And believe it or not, knowing what's expected can actually be a bit of a relief, even for a terribly disciplined teenager.

24/7 structure
If you're looking for a school that can provide a consistently structured environment, as well as a focus on academics, a great place to start your search is with military schools. Many of them are boarding schools, so structure is a 24-hour-a-day reality. No cliques, cell phones, sagging pants, or after-school parties here. Everything is clearly defined: the rules, the consequences, the dress code, the hierarchy. Conformity in a military school is absolutely OK and while military training at some level is often part of the package, so are honor codes and strict codes of conduct and discipline. For a child whose straying off the straight and narrow, an environment such as this might be the answer you're looking for.

Mind you, a military school is NOT the place to send a child who needs medication, therapy, or some other serious intervention. Military schools are not reform schools or treatment centers. In fact, if your child is a troublemaker who has already progressed down the road to police contacts, juvenile hall, and probation, a military school may not be  a good idea at all (although potential schools can certainly tell you if they think your child is an appropriate candidate for their program). You're likely to waste time and money and still have your child end up back at home — expelled, disgraced, and still getting in trouble.

As far as therapeutic needs go, a child with emotional problems isn't likely to get the type of nurturing, support, and intervention that's necessary to thrive. In fact, the expectations of a military environment can be pretty black and white, as well as unforgiving. For some kids, that sort of environment contributes to a deteriorating condition and an ultimately failed experience with school.

The best way to find out if your child's problems are too severe for a military school is to check with the schools themselves. They'll know what their limitations are and if they've had success with other kids who may have had problems similar to those of your child.

Why they can work
Military schools use positive peer pressure to modify behavior. Peer pressure is an enormously influential force in a young person's life and when the standards of what is acceptable and normal are as clearly defined as they are in a military school, the peer group wields enormous power in influencing every student not to break from the norm.

While it may sound harsh, peer pressure is an everyday fact of life in public schools, too. Students are just more likely to be pressured into going along  with things that aren't necessarily desirable, whereas the norms in a military school are usually pretty absolute in terms of right and wrong, what you can wear, and how you need to behave. Values clarification and training are engrained in a military school environment, and while those values may seem old school, they aren't usually a hodge podge of the dozens of different sets of values that students get exposed to every day in a public school.

Taming the adrenaline junkies
For boys in particular, military schools can provide a safe outlet for their often natural instincts for aggression and thrill seeking. Athletics and physical fitness are emphasized as roads to self-discipline, commitment, leadership, and teamwork. Prestige is earned through both athletic prowess and demonstrated leadership skills. Instead of being at home locked onto MySpace or out driving the family car too fast through the city streets, your child is learning the rewards of hard work. It's a pretty basic approach, but one that works, especially with the right kids. Instead of self-defeating behaviors, your child learns to be a winner.

Tied in with a focus on academic excellence, military schools benefit most students over time. They may struggle at first, but as the structure of the school rewards progress and discipline, most find themselves working harder for the reward of recognition and prestige. In the long run, the external motivator of the school's structure transitions to internal motivation for the students. They want to do well…and when they want to do well, they'll try harder, be more focused and will do well — over and over again.