aargh....

[jay]

James has overall adjusted well to high school... bringing his grades up to A-level in Algebra II, World History, and Literature Survey... everything except in one area. We received today's midterm progress report, and he's in danger of *failing* his Honors Chemistry class. Aargh... it is hard to let go, to let him sink or swim on his own sometimes. I want to dive in and fix it.... but I'm not allowed to do much more for him than help with homework. Although maybe I should investigate whether there are private tutors in chemistry. Any suggestions? His homework and labs have improved, but he is choking on his quizzes and tests.

Unless there's a quick improvement by midterms, he's going to have to drop at least one of his two bands...

Comments

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

We argued for a different class... as well as regular chem. It was his choice... originally, he was going to take Japanese this year, as well!

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Yes, you may have argued for a different class earlier--but is it too late to switch or drop this class now? It's obviously being too challenging for him. I think it's very clear that it's not simply a matter of overwork, since his other classes are ok. So dropping one of the bands won't *necessarily* improve his chem grades (though it might). I might think differently if he wasn't doing his homework for chem. But you say that's not the issue, so the problem is somewhere else. Integration of the material usually requires a different approach to the material, not just more time. Or it might be test anxiety, as others have mentioned (though again, I'd think that more likely if he were having trouble with ALL of his tests, not just Chem.)

I think if there's no way for him to change this class now, that your options are a) get him a tutor, or b) let him sink, which is the natural consequence for overreaching. Maybe next time he'll listen to you WRT his choice of classes.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

If he changes to regular chem now, it goes down as a drop on his transcript. Earlier he was having problems with tests in other areas, but has improved steadily elsewhere. I'm annoyed with his honors chem teacher and his counselor... when he went to his counselor and asked whether he should switch to regular chem (*before* the deadline, when he could have switched without penalty), the counselor passed the buck back to the honors chem teacher, who prevaricated and refused to make a recommendation either way, other than to tell James where he needed more focus.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Well, that IS annoying. In that case, he needs to tough it out, one way or another. Tutoring might help. But in some ways, he might do better to actually FAIL the class, and then take it over. I don't know what their rules are about it, but sometimes it's better to do that than, for instance, to squeek by with a D or even a C, which is immutably on one's record. It may be time to have another conversation with the counselor, though I have to say that the first one you relayed doesn't give me a lot of hope that the counselor will do better in this situation.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

I think test anxiety can be subject-specific, if one feels less confident about their abilities in that subject area. Don't know if that's what's up with James, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Jay, to what does James attribute the chem troubles?

I think a tutor is a fine idea. This doesn't sound like slacking, but like genuine struggle with the topic matter, and tutoring is very appropriate for helping one to catch up on a topic that one is struggling with.

Good luck...