Sigh.
The biggest problem we have with our kids' exceptional but tiny high school is that schedules can be a trick. It just isn't possible to offer everything at every hour for just 250 students. Libby's schedule was kind of a bear to get together in August, mostly because the dance teacher had scheduled beginning dance during only E and F blocks, which is already scheduled manditorily for every freshman as the dual classes of English 1 and Global Studies 1. There was no working around either thing, there were no more beginning dance classes and no other English/Global Studies options. I pointed out this scheduling dilemma, and it was fixed. Hoorah! Libby had a near-perfect schedule!
I don't expect any of my kids to be each other. Emma surprised me when she got to the academy by getting perfect A+s in every class. Her GPA right now, in her senior year, is still well above 4.0. I didn't expect Christian to do the same, I only wanted him to do his best. He has a perfect 4.33 at this point, but he's just beginning his sophomore year.
I don't expect perfect grades out of Libby. She's her own person, with her own strengths and interests. I just want her to do her very best. But I have learned a few things from having the kids go through the system before her. For instance, despite all the same homeschooling on my part, I didn't think Libby was ready for geometry this year. We signed her up for Algebra 1 instead. She's doing great, and I'd rather have her kick math's butt than feel behind in it. This is a decision we made for her that is different from Emma and Christian's experiences. Also, Emma took the freshman science class, which is called IPS (Integrated Physical Science). In my opinion, it was simply Science Lite. She went onto biology as a sophomore, chemistry as a junior, never had physics, and wasn't really prepared to choose one to take as an AP her senior year.
Screw that, I said. I put Christian right into biology as a freshman; this year as a sophomore he's in chemistry with the juniors, next year he'll be in physics with whoever takes that (since it isn't a required course), and then his senior year he can AP in any one of those, or go into microbiology or physiology if he wants a non-AP option. Christian did better than great in biology. Both he and Emma loved it, it's been the favorite science course ever for each of them.
I talked long and hard with the biology teacher about Libby last year. Libby's a different person, and I wasn't sure how she'd do mashed in with sophomores. I wasn't sure if the course load would be too much for her to handle. Together we decided she'd be fine. Enter the dilemma: this year, they added a new biology teacher. And wouldn't you know it, Libby was assigned to the new guy, rather than to the old teacher that I had all those discussions with, and in whom I had so much confidence, the one that made biology such a positive experience for Emma and Christian.
Libby is struggling with the new guy. She hates biology, she doesn't understand, she dreads it. WAH. And this is the class that Emma and Christian both looked forward to! And the one I forced her into, ahead of her grade. I'd prefer she was in IPS over this. Too late, I think, to transfer her to IPS now. My biggest concern of all is creating a hatred for a subject that is so useful and that, for the other two, was such a positive experience. I've worked pretty hard for 12 years of homeschool now to make sure they don't hate anything, and that they see all subjects (insofar as possible) as fun and something they're good at.
I have no idea what to do next. I spoke to Dr. Roth (the new teacher) at the beginning of the year, before classes started, and he couldn't be a nicer guy. I'm not even sure how this should turn out, I've been mulling this for several weeks. I think he definitely has the capability to be competent, it just isn't happening. Do I talk to him? Do I insist she be traded into the other teacher's biology class, perhaps at the expense of her near-perfect schedule? Do I shove her back into IPS, having missed an entire month of it?
Sigh.
4 comments:
Phew! That IS quite the dilemma. Would Libby be opposed to going back down to freshman science (IPS)? Are you positive switching to the other Bio class would help her be more successful? Good luck! :) xoxo
Super sigh... I would go and talk with someone at the school and figure out your options. Then I would do whatever it took to make biology a positive experience for Libby. Whether it is a new teacher, a different class, or a new approach with the same teacher. I hope it works out.
You are a wonderful mother. Don't you wish kids came with instructions! My kids learn so differently! I am sure I will be calling you in a few years for advice :).
Hey, since I got a new e-mail my comments show up at Unknown. Just so you know this is "Big Melissa."
Sometimes it's ok to let our kids struggle with hard things. I know that is not what you wanted to hear. You want to "fix" this for her and find the solution that will make her the happiest. There might not be one. We had a similar problem with biology last year. Biology is a freshman class at our high school, but Luke struggled with it. He did not like his teacher. He did not like biology. And it was a struggle all year. When things got to be the most frustrating I would make him go talk to his teacher himself and it helped. I wanted him to learn to get help for himself. He ended up with a B in the class, and that is ok. I would rather send him out into the world capable of handling disappointment, difficult people and hard things on his own. I think it will make him a happier adult.
Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure she will be fine and so will you!
Good luck!
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