Re: son entering high school
- From: Banty <Banty_member@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 23 May 2008 05:05:42 -0700
In article <f18674d8-f871-42f2-948e-f8a3e5d98791@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
mom0f4boys says...
My 2nd son is a smart kid... he just won his 8th grade chess
tournament, and gets high marks on tests. However, he has about a C
average because he leaves homework undone and doesn't complete
classwork. Most of his teachers like him and speak highly of him...
always the same thing: "One of the brightest kids I've had, but he
doesn't put in the effort."
He is disciplined a lot at school, often has detention, because he
clashes with a handful of staff and gives an attitude of disdain when
he feels that a teacher or staff member is wrong. He simply doesn't
care about the consequences.. just serves his detentions and maintains
his attitude.
He homeschooled in 7th grade, after trying it out for 2 months.
He determined that he was learning next to nothing, and disliked most
of his teachers. By homeschooled, I mean 'self-schooled'... which is
what I did with his older brother, who also disliked 7th grade. I let
them choose their interests and study what they wished. It worked out
well for my oldest... he did great when he went back in 8th grade, and
is now in a gifted program at the HS (it's honors, but these kids are
segregated and accelerated).
Amyway, my 2nd son... when he homeschooled, he studied all kinds
of things. We'd discuss the morning paper, then he'd go off and
research whatever interested him. He is very mathematical, and I am
not, so i wasn't much help to him there. But he is also a good
'reasoner'... he has excellent critical thinking skills. I found lots
of great books for him about philosophy, logic, debate. etc. He went
back to school for 8th grade, figured out which teachers were smart
and got as much as he could out of those teachers. His attitude about
school is simply to glean what he can, and disregard grades. The
principal is fond of him, and today he was chosen to read a poem to
visiting veterans fro the Memorial Day thing. The assistant principal
dislikes him, gives him detentions all the time, and I once saw her
lean into his face and say, "Why do you even come to school? Why
don't you just homeschool again?" She's just a person, and I can
understand her frustration, but I can also understand my son finding
her tiresome.
Anyway, it's the end of the year, and teachers have given their
recommendations for what level classes kids should take next year.
All of his teachers suggested college prep 1. Our school system
allows parents to override the teachers by one degree, either up or
down. My son asked me to do so, to put him in all honors classes.
We argued. I told him I didn't think he understood how much
classwork and homework there would be. He told me that he gets it,
and he WILL do the work now that it 'counts' (meaning: his high-school
transcript for college applications). He said he wants to feel
challenged. So I talked to his teachers, and they asured me that he
has the ability.... but they were also unsure of his ability to
knuckle down to the work. His guidance counselor gave a reserved
'thumbs-up'. So I put him in all honors.
Now, we have summer coming right up, time to relax, but I
sure am worried (although hopeful). Honors classes are ALOT of
work! My biggest worry is not that he will get poor grades, but that
he will be so headstrong that he winds up quitting.
You know what - I understand the risk you point to and I think it's real, but I
think it's a *higher* risk to deny him this challenge that he has taken upon
himself. I think you absolutely did the right thing.
Some personalities respond to a great challenge, and just rattle around without
a challenge like that. And boys especially seem to have a light bulb go off in
their heads at a certain stage. I've seen it with my son on some things (like
all of a sudden he's keener on Scouts advancement, and some years back with his
scale modelling pursuit), and I've seen it in my best friend's son. He's a
really bright kid who one day woke up, shed the black chained wide jeans and
stopped listening to Korn, changed his diet to a more astere one, worked out,
and stuffed his following years' high school schedule full of honors science
classes. Really. Just about like that. I've known that kid since he was
eight years old in Cub Scouts (he's long left Scouts behind) and he was always
the kid bouncing off the walls, with other parents whispering "ADHD" but he
never had that dx. His parents always let him follow his own path, with limits.
I think it's going to pay off big.
Banty
.
- References:
- son entering high school
- From: mom0f4boys
- son entering high school
- Prev by Date: Re: son entering high school
- Next by Date: Re: RSVP (and pinatas)
- Previous by thread: Re: son entering high school
- Next by thread: Re: son entering high school
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
