Just get through this one class!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-16-2001
Just get through this one class!!!
6
Sat, 05-12-2007 - 7:42am

Hi there everybody.

I'm Kathy, & I have a 15yo dd, freshman in HS. DD's school made the switch this school year to trimesters. Instead of two semesters, each w/ two 9-week quarters, it's three 12-week terms. Hasn't been too bad, but the scheduling has been a little weird. There are classes that are 2 terms long in total. DD ended up w/ classes where she started them in the first terms, has a term off, finishes them in the third term.

Term 1: Honors English, Geometry, Adv. Biology, Band, Gym
Term 2: Honors English, Economics, Freshman Connections, Band, Gym
Term 3: Honors English, Geometry, Adv. Biology, Civics, Band

She's a good kid & has done pretty well... has been on the honor roll all year. This last term is kicking her butt, though! Trying to pick up geometry & advanced biology after 12 weeks off has been hard, especially while going through Honors English & Civics (which dd thought would be a "fluffy" class - and it's not!).

This term, w/ all the non-"fluffy" classes, we've seen the grades go down a little bit. Nothing drastic, A's have become B's, the B's have become C's. As a coincidence, it started w/ the start of softball season - dd plays for the 19-0 undefeated JV team (excuse me while I sneak in a brag there...).

The class giving her the most trouble is Civics. It's not because she can't do the work - it's because she's making some bad choices & not doing the work. Just got an email from the teacher & DD's been "talkative, easily distracted" and when talks to dd about it, dd slams her books down on the desk & yells back. Basically being a little b**** to the teacher because she wants to socialize & not pay attention or work during class.

DD, of course, takes no responsibility. "The teacher hates me!" (well yeah, acting like that in her class, can you blame her! Sheesh!)

This is the class where she's pulling a low C-... She needs an attitude adjustment, any thoughts? I could always volunteer to show up at school for 5th hour every day & sit in class with her... ????

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Sat, 05-12-2007 - 7:56am
Not sure how to change DD's attitude, but I sure have sympathy for her - that is quite a work load that she has there. Unfortunately for her, in the classroom, the teacher is boss - and we all have bosses we don't care for at some point in our lives. And I agree with you, if DD is causing a disruption in the class, and then being disrespectful when the teacher calls her on it, it's no wonder "the teacher doesn't like her." As I said, I'm not sure how to turn things around for her - but do you REALLY want to sit through 9th grade civics AGAIN?? :D That was one of the hardest classes for me to sit through in high school, just coz I had absolutely no interest in the subject matter. I lived though, and so will she!
Rose
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Sat, 05-12-2007 - 8:53am
I had a somewhat similar situation with my DD15 this year in her French class. She is also a freshman. She is normally a very hard-working and respectful student. Although she doesn't get straight A's, she really does her best. But she has complained about this French class this year, saying she hates the teacher, she can't understand her, "everyone" is talking in class all the time, but the teacher only picks on my DD and her friends. Then, on her last report card, her teacher gave her an effort mark of "questionable." That didn't sound like my daughter at all, so I started communicating with the teacher and the two of us met with her the other day. To make a long story short, I told my daughter that no matter how boring the class is, or how much she hates the teacher, talking and laughing during class is just unacceptable. I also told her that if she wants to get into any kind of college eventually, she simply cannot have "questionable effort" comments on her report cards. She has since turned her classroom behavior around 100%--and her teacher said she's on her way to an "outstanding" effort mark for the last marking period. The punch line is that it is very likely that she's going to have this same teacher again next year for the next level of French. Poor kid!
Avatar for weberdns0
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2000
Sat, 05-12-2007 - 9:53am
You need to hve frequent discussions or e-mails with the teacher.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2007
Thu, 05-17-2007 - 4:01pm

Hi Kathy

I can relate to what you are going through. I also have a 15 year old daughter who is in all advanced honors classes. She started out 9th grade doing as well as she always has. Over the last couple of weeks her grades have come down a little. Now granted she had straight A's and we are only talking about B's but she has low B's in two of her classes. I know this does not sound bad, as I am typing it I know I must sound crazy, but for a kid who has NEVER gotten a B this has been eye opening.

I spoke to dd about this situation when her progress report came home. Her comments ranged from "my teacher doesn't like me" to "I am so sick of school and the stress I need a break." I can't help but think back to when I was a 9th grader. That was the hardest year of high school for me. From the social to the academic I can see her point. HOWEVER, I keep reminding her that she only has a month of school left and she needs to keep working at it.

I really don't know what else to do. So I can totally relate to your situation with your dd. Maybe it is just the age and the spring.

Take Care

DJ

Avatar for weberdns0
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2000
Thu, 05-17-2007 - 8:23pm
You need to remind her that now that she is in high school she has finals and has to keep working until the end of the year.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-16-2001
Mon, 05-28-2007 - 7:25am

I've been talking to other parents about this particular class & teacher (we've got lots of time to chat while watching a softball game) and found that my dd was not the only one having problems.

Funniest story, though, was about the dad who helped his daughter with the project about the Constitution. The project got an F. The dad is an attorney. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Apparently the project had "too many answers". If an attorney can't pass her class, I'll give dd a little more credit. But she has improved her low grade into a more bearable C+/B- area... (relative to the D she had before)