Advice, please

Avatar for suzyk2118
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Registered: 07-30-1997
Advice, please
14
Tue, 12-19-2006 - 11:05am

DS14 is a freshman, and has testing issues starting around the end of 4th grade. This year his biology teacher had him see the reading specialist and she had him see an eye specialist for possible convergence inefficiency. Looks like this may be the case, but I have no recourse at this stage.

In the mean time, the semester is almost over; finals start tomorrow. Grades are all over the place; a D+, two C+s, a B-, a B, a B+ and an A (PE) going into the finals. Tests count for way more this year than last; used to be simple averages, now they're weighted with up to 55% for quizzes/tests. He usually had a B with the rest As; this now has him pretty bummed and terribly nervous about finals, but he's determined to do his best.

The real reason I'm writing all this is geometry has me really crazy. DS is also visual-spatial so according to all those records, geometry should be a piece of cake. Math has never really been an issue but that's the D+ right now. This teacher has said she'd work with him since early Oct on oral quizzing/testing - she's never come through. DS went in on a scheduled date for this; she was out sick; ok, so she told him to come in another time, at which time she said she was too busy. This happened one more time. The counselor asked her to get with ds 1.5 weeks ago on this and she never did; ds approached her on it yesterday and she said maybe on a quiz in the future (next semester). I feel she's dropped the ball.

She also apparently picks on him in class (the counselor says other kids mention that she singles certain kids out) and he's one of those sensitive ones that shuts down when picked on. Now he tells me he's gaining rapport with her, but in the mean time she emails dh (who is now tutoring him in there, and says he knows ds 'gets it', which I've known all along) that ds puts down 'you didn't teach this' on one problem on the last test. I find out from ds that she indeed told the class during a lesson that she was not going to teach that. But the geometry teachers give the same test to all classes, so there it was on the test. Yesterday when she went over it, she told the class it was their responsibility to go to another teacher to get the info! (he said she also said she'd put it on the board and everyone said no she didn't...)

He's also turned into a bit of a Mr. Hyde in there, thankfully only on his last test - you know that blonde joke where she's shown a triangle with all sorts of info and it has an 'x' in one corner, and then asks 'find x' and she points an arrow at the 'x' in the corner and says there it is - he did that on the last test (and also solved for x). So he's not totally faultless in all this...

I so want him out of there - if nothing else, I want him in a class where the teacher knows what'll be on the test and teaches to it. What would you do?! (Dh thinks he should stick it out, but has 2nd thoughts after this last issue about going to see another teacher)

Sue, totally confused and not wanting to be 'that kind of parent', but...

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
In reply to: suzyk2118
Wed, 12-20-2006 - 7:04am
Is it possible that this teacher is within a year or two of retiring and is just "skating" thru, counting the number of days til she's outta there? If that's the case, there isn't a whole lot that you're going to do by going to the schoolboard, coz those types are usually tenured and protected by the union. I'm with the majority, if DS is going to have any chance of succeeding in future math classes, he needs a different teacher.
rose
Avatar for suzyk2118
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Registered: 07-30-1997
In reply to: suzyk2118
Wed, 12-20-2006 - 7:57am

Thanks - actually I understand this is her 2nd year, but I'd say she's mid 50s. Yet her 'confiding' in ds14 that she is 'used to' sophomores and isn't thrilled by all the wiggly, noisy fresmen in her class seems a bit odd too! Especially when, the day before, she wrote dh criticizing ds. DH and I are convinced it's time for the move, but as the final is today, we won't tell ds til at least tomorrow. Thanks, everyone.

Sue

Avatar for suzyk2118
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Registered: 07-30-1997
In reply to: suzyk2118
Wed, 12-20-2006 - 1:25pm

Great. Just great. Yesterday I emailed ds's counselor about our concerns and even included that dh is now considering there may be merit in getting ds out of there. I sent a quick subsequent email about her not saying anything til after finals as I didn't want to jeopardize anything for him for this semester. Well, what did she (counselor) do? Forwarded my first email to the geometry teacher! (who did give an explanation on the not teaching the given thing issue - ds was delinquent on taking notes on it) And the final is this afternoon. I feel like the counselor broke my confidence and now the teacher will be looking at ds's final with a tainted eye. I feel betrayed, frustrated, embarrassed... Yes, we want him out of there, but I didn't want to screw his chances at a reasonable grade this semester! Sigh.

Sue

Avatar for suzyk2118
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Registered: 07-30-1997
In reply to: suzyk2118
Wed, 12-20-2006 - 1:52pm

So I did the only type of damage control I could think of:

Mrs. T,

I understand you have had some serious issues with M in your class. Note taking, paying attention, staying on task, reporting the facts back to us, to mention a few. Do you feel that this is something that you and he (and his dad and I) can work through, or might it be best for him to move to another class, so as not to continue to possibly disrupt your class dynamic?

M tells us he’s working harder now that he knows what he’s been delinquent on, and is determined more than ever to ‘make it’ in your class (and I admire that). He’s been studying hard for the final, with and without his dad’s help, and hopes to show you that he is serious about succeeding in your class.

Please provide your thoughts on this. Thanks so much.

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