Posted on 01/29/2014 1:39:54 AM PST by MacMattico
My daughter has a very bright and sweet friend that is doing horribly in Algebra II/Trigonometry in high school in NY state. She came over today and asked me if I could Tutor her in Math because she knew I had an Education degree used in a past life. I said Math wasn't my specialty, and I wouldn't be of much help. She started to cry and say she was going to fail and even though the class took all her time, she had failed her midterm miserably and had quiz grades in the low 30's! She went in for extra help on a regular basis and thought she knew what she was doing.
I assumed she was exaggerating the actual "trying" in this class. But she showed me the rest of her grades in other classes and they are all A's! So I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. I called a friend of mine that teaches Math and she said she would tutor the girl in the summer, for free, as there was really no way at this point she was going to pass the class or the regents with her grade half way through and she didn't have time to tutor now.
In talking to this girl I found out this was the last Math class she was taking in HS. She is a sophomore and it is all that is required. The school has a policy that if you drop a full year class by the midyear point (Friday), the grade and class will be dropped from the transcript. My friend who teaches Math was nice enough to meet with the girl and go over a few things. She told the girls mom and I that this girl is in no way prepared to be in this class! The girls mom,single, rather shy and believing in all school authority asked what they should do. The advise given was drop the class, we'll set up a tutoring schedule for the summer to even get you prepared for the course, and start over. The mom called the school and then called me and said Guidance and the Principal told her under no circumstances would she be allowed to drop a core course. The girls mom wants my help in talking to the school. The girl will be 16 in two weeks, she could quit school, but they don't want her to drop a course! Also, she would pick up a half year business class, she says.
Is it good advise to drop the course and start over after more preparation? Before I'm going to go with her to any school meeting she wants to set up, I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons. I don't think it's a good idea to sit there and try and get grades in the 30's when that time could be used for working on other classes, but I wonder if taking off the next semester will have the effect of forgetting to much of what she does know?
It really bothers me that the school tells her it's a done deal she will remain in the class. What of parents rights? The girl is willing to set up the summer tutoring and start the course all over, why not?
>> the math teacher willing to help for free can’t do it until summer
Perhaps this could be brought forward to the principal with the possibility of deferring the class until the following year.
FWIW, the anxiety makes the subject far more difficult than it needs to be.
Good luck!
Don’t know really him to solve this based on my own experience
I got A’s and extra credit in all my classes.
I used algebraic equations in pre-college Mechanical Drafting and was Chess Champion in my high skrewel.
I sucked at algebra.
I hated algebra.
Algebra had no useful purpose as most equations were designed only to teach you how to solve problems with no useful application in real life.
I asked my Mech Drafting teacher for help and explained I was taking two classes of algebra in an attempt to merely get a “C”
He told me not to worry about it since I was using algebra and receiving high grades and delivering excellent products off the lathes based on my designs.
He told me that I apparently only grasp those things that actually have a use and discard everything else.
If I wasn’t going to be a rocket scientist this wasn’t something that would stop me in life.
He was also one of my counselors and understood I was never going to need something I could get someone else competent to complete.
I have had several businesses since then and never used algebra.
Or rather, I found some formulas I needed to know, had someone teach me and I’m good to go.
Still, I’d be fine without it, except for my attention to detail and curiosity
Not trying to impress you, rather impress upon you we have our short comings and it’s okay to live with them.
If her career choices won’t require algebra she’ll be fine.
If it’s a matter of getting into college then she’ll need some sort of getting”Rosetta Stone” training for algebra.
Maybe even algebra for dummies. No shame in any “Dummies” books if it’s that important to her.
” I asked to see the text book and they don’t have one! No online materials assigned. Just what the teacher provides.’
How are the other kids doing in the class? Maybe there is something wrong with the approach the teacher uses.
I agree with Innovative: If the policy is that a student is allowed to drop a course if they do it by a certain time, then she should be allowed to drop the course. The girl’s mother may need to grow a spine and insist that the school actually follow its own policy. (Perhaps you could go with her and be the mom’s substitute spine. ;o)
“I asked to see the text book and they don’t have one! No online materials assigned. Just what the teacher provides.”
What kind of school is this? No books???
The reason I know the school allows drops is because last year my daughter got bored in Chorus and asked if she could drop and they said as long as by the end of the second quarter. She ended up sticking it out and now enjoys it. Her friend is being told because math is a “core” course she can’t drop according to her mom. I’ll have to search the school handbook.
Read your full post.
Maybe she can get some tutoring and extra classes during summer to fill that hole in?
I know some schools allow you to go to college prep in summer and will add that to the transcript and her gpa.
I left school in the 10th grade and went to college with the prerequisite of proving I could handle college.
My 1st semester grades attributed to High Skrewel and o. The basis of those grades I was given the green light to test out of high skrewel and continue with college.
Public Suburban High School in upstate NY. Last year they had math books, and I saw my daughter’s still here the other day. I asked why it wasn’t returned. She said because this new looking, expensive book no longer covered what NY state required. So the school didn’t care if they were returned. Sounds like they’re winging it this year. (common core?)
“I’ll have to search the school handbook.”
That’s a good idea, you need get all the facts. If the policy states you can drop courses, any course, the school has to abide by their own policy and let her drop this course. If the policy states you cannot drop core courses, then the girl can’t expect the school to make an exception for her, just because.
Go with T-bird’s recommendation regarding “Kahn Academy”
I have a couple friends who had their kids utilize Kahn.
Both kids ended up at Ivy League skrewels.
One is at Cornell and I forget where the other is.
Thanks for the links!
“Thanks for the links!”
Your welcome. In spite of my giving Telepathic Intruder a hard time in post #13 about hating math, I am going to take those Khan math courses myself.
I *hated* math in school. Hated it. But it wasn’t math — I hated the way it was taught. I could cook you a big steak, then cover it with mustard and you might come away thinking you hate steak. No, you hate the steak that I cooked for you. And math, in this country, is taught poorly! No wonder so many kids don’t like it and don’t get it.
We need properly cooked math.
I feel for the girl, but to cancel a class in January after taking the class since September seems a bit much. Normally you can drop a class a couple weeks after the start of the class. She needs to buckle up and do what she can or go to Summer School which with the tutor help may ensure she passes. It will be on her transcript but as long as her Junior grades are good, she should still be able to get in college. She is not the first or last person to fail a math class. Another thing is she still has months to figure out a way to pass. I know you believe she has no way to learn it but if she goes to her teacher and asks for help, maybe she can get a pity “pass”. You never know.
And she has to pass the Regents exam. Teacher has no control over that.
I have not read all the Comments yet, so this may have already been said.
Show her how to use Khan Academy.
https://www.khanacademy.org/about
My wife has one College Algebra class remaining to get her degree. It has bee 47 years since she had a math class and she things Khan Academy is GREAT!
It is free, you work at your own pace and it has great metrics to keep track of your progress, strengths & weaknesses.
Arithmetic through Differential Calculus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxJgPHM5NYI
Khan Academy: The future of education?
(don’t mind the CBS-60 Minutes, it is a good presentation!)
Actually, going further on the college allowing students to drop classes, you can get a poor grade on a college course now, at some universities I know of, repeat the class, and have your grade on a transcript be the highest of the efforts.
Another reason I am not a fan of public, no logic, no reasoning, zero tolerance government entities - i.e. public schools.
How was she allowed in this class to begin with?
As long as you have a computer and Internet access, Khan Academy is FREE!!!! NO COST!!! The Best Price Ever!!!
Your NY education situation sounds like the Big Suck to the nth factor, IMO.
Here is what I advise my college students:
1) Drop the course and take it over again.
2) But, if you can’t drop the course (e.g., because you have to maintain a full-time load), accept that you’re going to fail the course and take it over again.
3) But, if you can’t drop the course and you can’t fail it either (e.g., because you’d be put on academic probation and become ineligible to play intercollegiate sports), figure out how to pass the course.
#3 has the advantage that you won’t have to take the course over again.
As to being able to learn Algebra II/Trig when you show up unprepared to do the work, I presume this means learning Algebra I as well as Algebra II/Trig. However, there may be deficiencies regarding prerequisites to Algebra I. A lot of students are innumerite.
Students who show up in my Principles of Microeconomics course deficient in high school math have to learn what they have been able to avoid learning thus far in their so-called life. They don’t think it’s fair, and I don’t care what they think (or how bad I look in my course evaluations). Some of them learn enough to pass the course but not all of them.
With regard to tutoring, after school with the instructor is a great option. Plus, it’s free. So it’s a tremendous bargain.
Shopping around for a book or some other source material that you like, that’s a good option and what does it cost? $20? People might not realize it, but there are different styles to presenting material. Even, with regard to math. One of the reasons the Math for Dummies series appeals to many people because it has a different style. Finding a book that has an effective style for you costs more than the out of pocket. It costs the time of looking through several books, sampling the material, in addition to the out of pocket.
I’ve got a degree in math. i’ve tutored math in high school and college. I’ve also taught corporate software and methology classes. in one situation I had to teacher a graduating college undergrad enough to pass the MA proficiency exams... and she had no foundation (how she got that far is beyond me). I had 10 days and was able to improve her grade from low 30s to 89.
I’d be willing to talk to her and see about online tutoring/teaching. I do not live anywhere nearby and would not be interested in travel. strictly voip/online/phone (prolly no more then 60-90 minutes/day). my only stipulation is that she must be serious about learning the subject.
if that sounds like it might help, FreepMail me and we’ll take it from there.
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