Rochelle's grades went up from Satisfactory+ to Good in almost everything. She and Elcie will both be Honor Roll again.
And then there's Rebecca. Her math grade, instead of going up, went from a D to an F for the last quarter. For the past week, she's been diligent with her homework even when there has been far too much. She was hoping for a miracle and was depressed when she came dragging home with her grades. I told her that the grades had already been posted at conference time and it was too late for this quarter but her hard work should show up on the next if she keeps it up. I didn't scold; I wouldn't be telling her anything she doesn't already know.
I don't know what's going on with her class work. She comes home with work she doesn't understand. I don't know if she's not paying attention, if she's afraid to raise her hand, or if they just move too quickly for her to get it. I play catch up with her all the time.
She doesn't qualify for special ed but resource in math might help. Our major problem seems to be that she's not a squeaky enough wheel to qualify for anything. I'm sure part of her problem is something similar to ADHD but she's been evaluated and she doesn't quite make that criteria either. It's a puzzlement. It may be something as simple as she despises math and she's stubborn. Meantime, I keep wringing my hands (and playing tutor).
In some respects, she's very like I was as a kid. If I liked the subject (and the teacher), I made straight A's. If I didn't, I squeaked through. I'm sure my mom was wringing her hands from time to time as well. And we both lack patience with the material we don't understand the first time around. Instant gratification seems to be must with both of us. I've outgrown a lot of that but I still remember flinging my intermediate algebra book across the room. Now I fling pencils - they do less damage and they're not as expensive to replace. So far I've managed not to put a fist through the computer screen.
Enough of that. I was surprised by the number of people who left their responses to the "4's". Funny story about that. My son Tim looked at the "rainbow" post last night but evidently missed the 4's. We had lunch together today (now yesterday but you know what I mean) and a few minutes after I got home he sent me an email asking me to do the 4's. He'd received it from a non-blogging mutual friend in San Francisco and was forwarding it as a chain letter. I sent it back to everyone with a link to granny and a little note to Tim that they were a little behind the curve.
I have included a link (click on the post title) from the Merced Sun-Star about our tornado. Today has been drizzly but the worst may have passed us by. Jerry (jw) hopes it is heading for AZ which needs the rain. I'll gladly send it his way.
Usually I don't get into serious issues here (except where the kids are concerned). I save it for the other blog. We've been talking quite a bit over there about bigotry and hatred. That of course, does concern me, my kids, my grandkids, and the girls. I wrote a post over there earlier talking about it. I can't include the link to the post because that blog isn't set up for links(??) but the title is I Started to Leave a Comment.
If anyone is interested in what I'm thinking when I'm not chattering about homework, memes, and recipes, I welcome you to the other side of Ann.
Good night all.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
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10 comments:
I'm the same way. If it wasn't interesting to me (and math is so darned abstract that I couldn't accept that it was useful or interesting), it dropped off of my radar. I managed C's all throughout highschool and college except for geometry! I guess geometry looks like something concrete so I could understand it.
I don't know what advice to give. I mean, I am a shining example that someone who could care less about math can become really good at it and get a job that requires it heavily. Unfortunately, if I took a math class these days, I'd probably still get a C. I just have no interest unless it's applied.
I'm so sorry, Ann. At least the girls are doing great otherwise!
OI hate math!! Squeaked through all my classes. had toutors and everything.
Is it possible for her to have a peer student toutor sometimes
I love math, but I struggled with several of my math classes, because most of my teachers would spend all hour copying example problems out of the book. That's boring. It wasn't until I hit physics that I really fell in love with math. A lot of that had to do with my teacher doing a lot of hands on stuff. Our final project was building a rollercoaster out of K'Nex that tied together all the various things we learned.
Does she like things like mindbenders (logic problems and math puzzles just for fun)? That might help her improve since it's for fun, and it will also improve her word problem skills. The other thing I would suggest is always showing her work, and not skipping steps. Most math teachers will give from 1/2-9/10s credit for problems where you made a minor arithmetic mistake but the work shows that you knew how to solve it. It also gives the math teacher an idea of how well Rebecca understands it as well as reinforce how to solve that type of problem for Rebecca.
Oh, I sympathize with Rebecca. Mostly A's except for math. I never asked questions because I didn't even know enough to ask! I listened, I tried, and nothing with math ever clicked. Although I am sure at some point in high school I gave up altogether.
No wonder I got my degree in English! :)
I was originally diagnosed ADHD, and now it's looking more like bipolar. I sucked at math, still do, but I'm super at things that require thought and not equations. Always received "could do better if tried" on reports.
I know I'm making the trip to a diagnostician-perhaps she would benefit? Depdends on the impact
Oh poor Rebecca that's rough. You can put her in summer school and have her take math, here that'll take care of the one F. And it might give her a boost in math next year.
I did that for my daughter and it really helped her, and she is doing pretty well in math until just resently when she had to learn graphing.
Janice~
Well coming from someone that is dislexic and had.... many problems in math because the numbers were never the same on the paper as they were in my head and then gave up because I couldn't do it right anyways... have you asked Rebecca if she thinks perhaps getting a diffrent math teacher may help? Maybe she could homeschool with you in math and test out of it? (this math teacher that sends home 80 problems REALLY bugs me and then I think why isn't the TEACHER checking in on her to make sure she DOES understand? Get her AWAY from Rebecca before the poor girl is so depressed and...ok deep breath) Or perhaps there is some way that Rebbeca could do a math thing on line rather then summer school which has all that yuckyness attached to it...... I mean if she is getting the consepts (with your help) but isn't succeeding in the class it doesn't sound like a learning problem it sound like a teaching problem.... as in HER teacher isn't a good teacher for Rebecca (maybe fine for other kids tho' I would talk with other parents and see about that). Sorry if this is all assvice...... I just totally go into trying to think of all the things I wish someone had been able to give me when I was struggling so much with math. A good grandma went such a long ways.... but eventually I was out of her depth too and then.... that was bad...... I failed again and again and again... I think it actually effected my whole life...... silly me I know you are all fire for your grandkids I know you can and will fight for them thru thick and thin.
I know how it is with Math. I barely made it through high school math and that was only because i took my last 1/2 year with a "Matt for Living Class". I couldn't pass College Intro Algebra. I'm having to face it again as an adult. Does the school offer tutors? I'm already planning on getting one.
Hi bacchus - left you a comment on your blog.
Congrats on Rochelle & Elicie's honor roll!
From what you've posted, Rebecca's math sounds very difficult. I don't understand why schools make it so hard for kids to get help--they should be helping her instead of punishing her : /
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