tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14184878.post6098146125959408878..comments2023-10-15T10:29:12.991+01:00Comments on Karyn's erratic learning journey: Finding that fine lineThe upsychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14184878.post-86379382506673459562008-11-07T17:21:00.000+00:002008-11-07T17:21:00.000+00:00Karyn, what a dilemma. Seems like an opportunity ...Karyn, what a dilemma. Seems like an opportunity to teach him communication, and principled escalation. Not sure of the exact balance, but first he communicates clearly to the teachers (love the book "Crucial Conversations", and Meryl Runion's Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say, but Don't Be Mean). Then, if that doesn't work, there's systematic escalation to school (next level up), to you, etc. That is, he tries first, if he can't solve it, then he communicates clearly that he's getting help, goes to you, etc. Love that you care about balancing those competing concerns! Not easy, but try to question him into finding the right solution (treat it as an abstract problem, and how would he recommend handling it if it were someone else?). <BR/>I guess this is a longer version of Frances' cogent point. Good luck!Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07822235162664957878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14184878.post-460226469804707772008-11-07T17:17:00.000+00:002008-11-07T17:17:00.000+00:00For me this is the side that too often we forget w...For me this is the side that too often we forget when we reduce students to predicted grades, and are pushed to look to value added scores rather than value the human, which no-one has yet managed to do*<BR/><BR/>My younger brother went through a similar position to your son when he first started suffering with ME during his A Levels. To paraphase Ian Dawson - In ten years time, all they'll remember is if you treated them like a human being. Something it's way too easy to forget.<BR/><BR/>I hope the whole thing works out ok :0)<BR/><BR/>* I originally put 'sadly' before no-one, but that's wrong. Perhaps the sentence should read 'Thank God(s)' at the end instead!”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14184878.post-57877618603017202932008-11-07T13:38:00.000+00:002008-11-07T13:38:00.000+00:00@Frances Thanks so much for your input. Yes, being...@Frances Thanks so much for your input. Yes, being a parent is hard... if you do it right. Yes, being 17 is hard (but nowhere near as hard for my son as for the person in Janis Ian's song - one of my favourites, by the way!). Yes, being a teacher is hard.<BR/><BR/>But somehow we all have to get past all this difficulty and ensure that my son has the best possible shot at doing whatever it is he wants to do with his life.<BR/><BR/>If that means accepting (shock, horror) that maths is not the be all and end all of a good education, so be it.<BR/><BR/>If that means standing back and allowing your son to bump his precious young head (gulp, sniff) so be it.<BR/><BR/>If that means being man enough to see your girlfriend only on weekends and reducing the amount of time you spend playing Gunz (perish the thought!), so be it.<BR/><BR/>But I think the point I was tyring to make is that somewhere along the lines, the teachers appear to ahve adopted a pack mentality and have forgotten to keep the long term view affecting the child's best interests in the centre.The upsychohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06345558899662051670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14184878.post-30581308133832287782008-11-07T12:53:00.000+00:002008-11-07T12:53:00.000+00:00It's tough being a parent Karyn ;-) but not perhap...It's tough being a parent Karyn ;-) but not perhaps as tough as being 17 (remember Janis Ian song)<BR/>I can't comment in detail but I wonder if the issue is as much about communication as the importance (or otherwise) of Maths. If your son can come through this having learned more about negotiation, then he will have learned something more valuable than Maths or PE. It's up to the teachers whether or not they learn.<BR/>What's really hard is for you to support him whilst letting him become the hero of the story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com