Parents of the HS Class of 2019 (Part 1)

Thanks@Dragonflygarden

Hi @carolinamom2boys, choosing to reply here rather than Class of 2016. I would ask your friends, high school counselors, coworkers, etc. for good tutors and possibly google "math tutors in (Carolina City). I also love Khan Academy when itā€™s a quick answer or specific topic. If your child is really behind in math, it will likely take a concentrated effort with a focus on achieving all the substrata that support the current topics. That is often best done with a one-on-one tutor. Hugs to you and DS19.

Thanks@EastGrad

@carolinamom2boys Have you tried the Geometry For Dummies book? You can probably get it in your library or cheaply on Amazon. Full disclosure: I used the Algebra one in my BSN 10 years ago, after not having had math for 25 yearsā€“got an A.

Thanks everyone for great suggestions

@carolinamom2boys I love Khan Academy. it finds your weaknesses and builds you up where you need more background. I also love that you get instant feedback on each problem, plus several ways to figure it out. I try to get my kiddo to do it by finding the lessons that match her test that week.

Thx@2019hope

@carolinamom2boys, having tutored geometry, I find that it is such a departure from the number manipulation of other math courses that students donā€™t get into the flow of what is being asked. In some cases it is really memorization of rules and of terms, and then regurgitating those rules and showing understanding of strict definitions, like a verbal logic game. This is also often the only place where students see proofs.

Therefore, the teacher, or tutor, would be wise to get your son thinking along the lines of logical argument and understanding definitions of terms. Your son likely does really well when he sees what is being asked. You probably donā€™t need a genius for a tutor, but rather a compassionate ā€œteacherā€ employing mnemonics, songs, flash cards, and logic. Think of it as a learning style problem rather than a conceptual difficulty problem.

I could be wrong, but it may be that DS really needs to re-orient his thinking, rather than dig deeper into concepts. That, and practice!

@ItsJustSchool proofs is whatā€™s giving him the most problem, but heā€™s watched some tutorials on you tube and understanding it better . Heā€™s not the most analytical thinker.

@carolinamom2boys, a focused one-on-one hour a week walking through the steps out loud with someone encouraging and maybe giving study tips for memorization and for logical linking may be worth the price. Probably will only take 6-10 sessions. It could be an upperclassman (maybe a friend or teammate of his older brother?) or a non-family adult. A coach like this will help him focus on the task and get him ā€œun-stuckā€ as he goes through the process. There is pain, yes; but likely there will be change. Having someone with him will push him, just as a coach or a team pushes one more than one can by oneself.

Around here coming to you in your home, a kid would take $10 - $25/hr., while a professional tutor would charge 3-5 times that. Either way may be a good deal at the end of the day.

@ItsJustSchool We may be looking into that. He stayed after school for tutoring and extra help from his teacher today and has a test tomorrow. He seems to be understanding it better now, but weā€™ll see what the test shows . Thanks for all of the advice .

Howā€™d it all go @carolinamom2boys ? DD was sailing through with some very nice grades until she got very sick and was out of school for 3 days. Itā€™s all fallen apart grade wise since then.

She had plans to go to Homecoming with a group of girlsā€¦but they either got dates or quietly joined other girl groups. She had a boy text her if sheā€™d like to go. Then he proceeds to say a lot of things that got this momma clutching her pearls. I guess he wanted to take the relationship further??? 2 hours later she said ā€œIā€™ve changed my mindā€ and ended up staying home that night. We bought two dresses a month agoā€¦now Iā€™m trying to decide if I should just return them discreetly.

Sheā€™s also trying to take the finals in 2 online classes she did this summer. Kid is about to implode. How do other people make these grand plans and actually make it happen? Between the soccer, dance and school sheā€™s barely treading water.

Not sure how they do it. DS is now done with Marching Band thank goodness. Now he actually has the time to get his homework doneā€¦

@2019hope Sorry I havenā€™t posted before now. Itā€™s been crazy. Loaded with homework, plus DS19ā€™s birthday was November 6, DS16s birthday is today and DS19 had his Confirmation for church last Wednesday . He seems to be understanding a little better. Heā€™s been staying after for tutoring from his math teacher and watching Yaymath you tube videos. He understood those better than Khan Academy. Heā€™s doing much better in English. We found that if we wakes up early on the morning of an English test to review , he does better than if he studies the night before . He got a 99 on his last English test , and he was quite proud because he was struggling at the beginning of the year.

@2019hope, maybe keep the dressesā€“or at least oneā€“especially if she loves them. There will be more dances! Glad to hear about your sonā€™s good news, @carolinamom2boys! Waving at you from Class of '13, @MichiganGeorgia!

@carolinamom2boys I need to look into Yaymath!

Iā€™m keeping the dresses because I totally forgot about them! I might see if the more expensive, and less attractive one, can still be returned.

Iā€™m praising the heavens because sheā€™s almost done with her online classes. One is completely done, entered into her GPA. The second should be finished on Monday. One day before the deadline. NEVER AGAIN. She finished the coursework in the summerā€¦then it was like pulling teeth trying to get the videos and group work doneā€¦

Nothing is worse than group projects in an online class. Theyā€™re what stands between me and the six credits I need for my second Masters.

Glad someone started this thread. Iā€™ve got a DD finishing the first semester of her freshman year.

I started going on CC for DD16. Itā€™s very interesting following the threads of different colleges. Fortunately, DD got accepted to her dream school via ED so we follow only one college thread now.

Hope to stay with all off you over the next 4 years of the journey.

@ChicagoSportsFn I have a D16 as well. Join us in the class of 16 thread if you havenā€™t already! (itā€™s an active forum so I apologize if I donā€™t remember you being there)

@kandcsmom Thanks! And congrats on the very nice scholarship your D got for the college that she will be attending.