Huddle Teachers and Parents

[yo mama]

No TV, No video games, and to bed earlier on school nights. It sure woke up my 7 year old daughter. Her last report card was much better.

 

I could see how proud she was to show it to my wife and I. Once they taste some success, it breeds more success.

 

Good luck.

I agree. Cell phone, gone. Computer time, limited. Bye-bye Ipod.

 

Eliminate distractions and privileges she takes for granted until she gets a handle on her business.

[AtomicCEO]

Funny thing. My old Middle School contacted me recently and said that if I didn't make a request to receive some old files on me, they would be destroyed. I was overcome with curiosity, so I requested them. It turned out to be an in-depth aptitude and psych eval of me from 8th grade.

 

They determined that I had really high aptitude for learning, but that I didn't ever do any homework or assignments. They advised my parents to put me into advanced programs in the summer, and consider a private school so that learning would hold my interests more. Of course, my parents did neither of these things, and instead decided that it wasn't good news that I was really smart... instead it was bad news that I was lazy, so they made fun of me a lot. Good times. Good times.

 

Anyway... what I'd recommend to both Unta and Whomper is not to worry too much about grades in middle school and high school. They honestly don't matter that much. If you want to see your kids try harder, then get them involved in after school and summer programs for things that they really are interested in, and watch how focused and determined they become. For me it was rocketry, television production, and athletics. For them it might be chess, math competitions, model UN. Some kids love history or politics or whatever. Support their interests.

 

I outgrew laziness. Lots of people do. I wish that when I was a young sponge, I had done more of the educational stuff that I wanted to learn. You don't need to worry about teaching them the harsh lessons of life so much. "You have to do the homework because life sucks sometimes, and the sooner you learn that the better off you'll be!"

 

Also, if you believe your kid is smart, but just not making the grades due to missed assignments, fight HARD as parents to keep them in the Level 1 and Honors classes. If they get dropped down, it will only get worse.

[MikesVikes]

I'll ask my wife about this topic when I get home tonight. She might have some thoughts about it.

[montster]

Funny thing. My old Middle School contacted me recently and said that if I didn't make a request to receive some old files on me, they would be destroyed. I was overcome with curiosity, so I requested them. It turned out to be an in-depth aptitude and psych eval of me from 8th grade.

 

They determined that I had really high aptitude for learning, but that I didn't ever do any homework or assignments. They advised my parents to put me into advanced programs in the summer, and consider a private school so that learning would hold my interests more. Of course, my parents did neither of these things, and instead decided that it wasn't good news that I was really smart... instead it was bad news that I was lazy, so they made fun of me a lot. Good times. Good times.

 

Anyway... what I'd recommend to both Unta and Whomper is not to worry too much about grades in middle school and high school. They honestly don't matter that much. If you want to see your kids try harder, then get them involved in after school and summer programs for things that they really are interested in, and watch how focused and determined they become. For me it was rocketry, television production, and athletics. For them it might be chess, math competitions, model UN. Some kids love history or politics or whatever. Support their interests.

 

I outgrew laziness. Lots of people do. I wish that when I was a young sponge, I had done more of the educational stuff that I wanted to learn. You don't need to worry about teaching them the harsh lessons of life so much. "You have to do the homework because life sucks sometimes, and the sooner you learn that the better off you'll be!"

 

Also, if you believe your kid is smart, but just not making the grades due to missed assignments, fight HARD as parents to keep them in the Level 1 and Honors classes. If they get dropped down, it will only get worse.

 

my kid is 3, so i don't have a lot of experience with homework yet. but along the same lines as atomic, in third grade my teacher told my parents i was seriously devoid of any creative writing skills, or really any creativity whatsoever, and she suggested my parents consider holding me back. they didn't. all throughout grade school i focused on math and science and convinced myself i hated english classes and writing. in college, two semesters away from graduating with an engineering degree, i began writing in my free time and realized how much i hated math and engineering. i ended up graduating two years later with a journalism degree.

 

i guess i'd just echo what others have said and say to foster and encourage your kids' interests, whatever they are, while keeping in mind that they'll probably change. i was fortunate that even though my dad was an engineer and encouraged me to be one, both my parents were supportive when i changed my mind in college and decided to do something else.

 

i think it's cool that you take your daughter to work with you, whomp. maybe you could wear frilly lacy dresses and have her sketch you.

[whomper]

i hated math

 

 

i think it's cool that you take your daughter to work with you, whomp. maybe you could wear frilly lacy dresses and have her sketch you.

 

 

PM sent

[The Holy Roller]

One word. Home Schooling.

[Big John]

One word. Home Schooling.

Someone needed a better education as that is two words.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

My step daughter is a senior this year and is doing very well. Up until about halfway through last year she skated by with C's and D's. We tried EVERYTHING. She saw a counselor. We took away the tv, pc, made her do extra chores, grounded her....nothing worked. Nothing. Halfway through last year it was like a light went on in her head and she completely turned everything around; her grades and attitude.

Good luck Whomp. Hope your kid's light goes on soon...

[yo mama]

My step daughter is a senior this year and is doing very well. Up until about halfway through last year she skated by with C's and D's. We tried EVERYTHING. She saw a counselor. We took away the tv, pc, made her do extra chores, grounded her....nothing worked. Nothing. Halfway through last year it was like a light went on in her head and she completely turned everything around; her grades and attitude.

Good luck Whomp. Hope your kid's light goes on soon...

So, in other words, you bought her a wolf shirt?

[Footballjoe]

One word. Home Schooling.

 

Isn't that 2 words?

[Footballjoe]

Isn't that 2 words?

 

I should have read a little further before I replied and I would have seen BJ beat me to it.

[Skippy]

Also, if you believe your kid is smart, but just not making the grades due to missed assignments, fight HARD as parents to keep them in the Level 1 and Honors classes. If they get dropped down, it will only get worse.

Wurd rigtht there. That 17 year old that I talked about up there brought home the same grades no matter what class she was in. When she was in the honors classes she actually brought home higher grades for about the first three report cards until she figured out how much she could slack. They wanted to boot her out of the classes and I fought like hell to keep her in there. I do not regret that at all.

[montster]

 

i'm a race traitor.

[wiegie]

i'm a race traitor.

[The Holy Roller]

Someone needed a better education as that is two words.

 

Just trying to sneak one by.

 

ETA- You too, Sems.

[Czarina]

My experience--you're screwed.

 

Okay, maybe it's not that bad. My 11yr old is very much like your daughter (yes, he likes to wear cotton panties with dora on them).

 

My son has absolutely no intrinsic motivation to do well at school. If he finds something interesting, the work he produces is truly amazing. He will even do extra work at home, just for himself, if he enjoys the topic. This happens rarely. I have set up behavior charts with simple rewards (e.g., "buying" extra playstation time), we go out for celebrations when he does well, we compliment his work, call family and brag about him where he can hear us doing so, etc. I have come to the conclusion that my son simply does not care about his school work.

 

He generally responds only to consequences--which goes against everything I've learned. However, I really don't believe he cares about school. My son has been without all electronics for the past 4 weeks because his progress report showed he had dropped from an A to a C in reading. We just got report cards and the C was his grade in reading. He also had 1 A and 3 Bs (although he barely got an B in science). Although my son is not allowed to play any video games, I was letting him watch others and that is still fun for him. He now is no longer allowed to watch. When the kids go to play video games, he is alone. He asked why he was being punished given that he made the lowest of the three honor rolls. I told him that if there were no consequences for going from an A to a C in reading and nearly getting a C in science, that I was fairly certain that I'd see a few C's on his next report card because he does the minimum to get by in school. He didn't argue with me.

 

Then, yesterday, I got an e-mail from his teacher. He has six different assignments that he has not handed in this quarter (this quarter is only two weeks old). I am proud of myself that I didn't yell. He now is not allowed to see the light of day until those assignments are done. He is also now required to show me his assignment book each day. I told him that the first time I have to ask to see his assignment book, he is grounded.

 

He is slowly driving me toward insanity.

This is my nearly 13 year old. He can be brilliant. Off the charts intelligence, below the charts performance. It's so frustrating. He completely satisfied with Cs. I've told him over and over that a C is fine if the subject is difficult and he's putting in the time and effort. He gets As on all his tests and gets Cs because of homework and class participation. He never knows when he has assignments, yadda yadda.

 

I'm also against the threats and consequences method, but that's what I'm down to. Told him he wasn't going to touch anything electronic if he came home without his agenda book completed daily. And then the homework had to be done before he got onto the Wii. Or Youtube, or Runsecape. Argh.

 

 

Oops, misread the OP. Homework for a 7 year old (is this first or second grade?) still shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to complete, IMO. How involved is this work? I'd suggest setting a time of day for homework to be done, after a suitable snack and play break. If the assignment is too long to complete in 10-15 minutes, break it down into a couple chunks and give a short break in the middle. I think you'll get much better results.

Edited April 17, 2008 by Czarina

[Big John]

Just trying to sneak one by.

 

ETA- You too, Sems.

FBJ is not Seminoles

[whomper]

This is my nearly 13 year old. He can be brilliant. Off the charts intelligence, below the charts performance. It's so frustrating. He completely satisfied with Cs. I've told him over and over that a C is fine if the subject is difficult and he's putting in the time and effort. He gets As on all his tests and gets Cs because of homework and class participation. He never knows when he has assignments, yadda yadda.

 

I'm also against the threats and consequences method, but that's what I'm down to. Told him he wasn't going to touch anything electronic if he came home without his agenda book completed daily. And then the homework had to be done before he got onto the Wii. Or Youtube, or Runsecape. Argh.

 

 

Oops, misread the OP. Homework for a 7 year old (is this first or second grade?) still shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to complete, IMO. How involved is this work? I'd suggest setting a time of day for homework to be done, after a suitable snack and play break. If the assignment is too long to complete in 10-15 minutes, break it down into a couple chunks and give a short break in the middle. I think you'll get much better results.

 

 

She is in first grade. Homework is usually 1 page of math 1 page of writing and a different thin book to read every night. They also have a list of words they get on monday that they get tested on friday so every night you work on those words in different ways. Her teacher said she is a phonetic reader which isnt a bad thing on tough words. The problem is that she does it on "sight" words sometimes which we know she knows already and should breeze by. Sight words are basics that they study that a kid should eventually know on "sight" (this,that,the,play,you,which etc) We usually do the homework and take a break then do the reading book later in the night.

[Egret]

She is in first grade. Homework is usually 1 page of math 1 page of writing and a different thin book to read every night. They also have a list of words they get on monday that they get tested on friday so every night you work on those words in different ways. Her teacher said she is a phonetic reader which isnt a bad thing on tough words. The problem is that she does it on "sight" words sometimes which we know she knows already and should breeze by. Sight words are basics that they study that a kid should eventually know on "sight" (this,that,the,play,you,which etc) We usually do the homework and take a break then do the reading book later in the night.

I'd much rather have a phonetic reader who needs help with sight words than someone who tries to memorize every word and resist phonics. If you're worried about sight words, grab a list of common sight words like this one. Make some flash cards and practice them this summer. You can practice them in the car while driving places. Learning these words does make reading easier, but reading phonetically is very important too.

[whomper]

I'd much rather have a phonetic reader who needs help with sight words than someone who tries to memorize every word and resist phonics. If you're worried about sight words, grab a list of common sight words like this one. Make some flash cards and practice them this summer. You can practice them in the car while driving places. Learning these words does make reading easier, but reading phonetically is very important too.

 

 

Thanks. I agree and the teacher did as well. She said she liked the fact that she breaks down the words. If she could get the sight words down she would be a more fluid reader. Another plus to her reading was the teacher said her comprehension skills were good. She said she has kids that can fly through the page and not retain any of it and that my kid may stumble through the page a little but she retains a lot.

[Egret]

Thanks. I agree and the teacher did as well. She said she liked the fact that she breaks down the words. If she could get the sight words down she would be a more fluid reader. Another plus to her reading was the teacher said her comprehension skills were good. She said she has kids that can fly through the page and not retain any of it and that my kid may stumble through the page a little but she retains a lot.

Reading comprehension is a hugh indicator of ability for success in school. The biggest pitfall is teaching strong study skills to go along with reading comprehension. It becomes a problem when you have to work harder than you're used to working.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

So, in other words, you bought her a wolf shirt?

I missed the whole "wolf shirt" joke.

[Big John]

I missed the whole "wolf shirt" joke.

From this thread

[The Holy Roller]

FBJ is not Seminoles