momof2cowboys Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Signed my DS up for a few live online courses. Some he LOVES :hurray: -- One, in particular, really missed the mark. Even I agree with him in every point he makes when he starts to work on his post-live assignment. The work is primarily copywork and seems geared about 3 grade levels below his needed level. And each week the assignment is the same. He has stuck with it thus far but honestly, I asked him some questions about it and he hasn't learned a thing. He is just going through the motions to get the job done, turn it in and get a grade. Would you make him stick it out through the semester? I'm wavering back and forth. I've read the drop policy and there's no refund after the first week- so regardless there would be no refund. I'm torn about making him finish something we've begun - but honestly it would only be for the sake of that -- learning to not be a quitter. :crying: Not because the class is beneficial to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I would let him quit. I think there is a difference betweeen quitting because it’s too hard or if a parent sees benefit but the kid doesn’t like it and quitting because the class is worthless. My son took a live (not online) writing class a few years ago that he hated. I had him stick with it because I didn’t want him to quit and because I’d paid for it. But at the time I kind of agreed with him that it was a bad class with stupid assignments. I wish I had let him quit. He hated writing before he started and the class only made him hate it more. We are just now (three years later) getting to the point where writing isn’t so much of a horrible thing for him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Making him finish something just because he has begun it leaves no room for reevaluating purchases, relationships, jobs, etc. There can be value in learning when to quit. Quitting early can leave time for something better to come along! I'm sorry the class isn't working out, though AND no refund. The sunk cost would be what would make it hard for me to let it go. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 What would you do if the class was free? I know I'd be tempted to have him finish it because I paid for it, but that's not a great reason. I'd probably let mine quit, assuming he did need the lesson of not quitting. I'd also email the provider and let them know the exact issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof2cowboys Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 I definitely didn't want him quitting just because he didn't "enjoy" the class because sometime I think you have to just suck it up and stick things out and its not all going to be fun and games. I wish I could talk to some of the other parents of the kids in the class and see what their take on it is and see if I'm just having unrealistic expectations. Maybe his other classes are just really spectacular! LOL. I know that filling out the same worksheet (multiple, duplicate ones at that ) on a weekly basis is not what my 7th grader wants to be doing. And is not really helping him learn the info. Losing the money is making me hold on to it a bit as well. But you are right in the idea that it is making him dislike the subject even more. :( :mellow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 In this case, let him quit, but have him join something (or create for him) a subsititute class that will challenge him. For example - if he joined a swim class that just taught him how to float, and he could do that with ease, you would want him in the next class to learn strokes, etc.. I do not classify this as quitting. This is trying to find the right fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 My son did a GIMP class last year he hated. However, I paid for it. I wanted him to get the info b/c he likes the stuff. The teacher was a dud. No eval offer so we didn't get to complain. Weiss was the teacher name. He was hard to listen to for more than 5 min. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Care to share the class title/provider? PM if you'd rather not say publicly. Sounds like one to avoid in the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I definitely didn't want him quitting just because he didn't "enjoy" the class because sometime I think you have to just suck it up and stick things out and its not all going to be fun and games. I wish I could talk to some of the other parents of the kids in the class and see what their take on it is and see if I'm just having unrealistic expectations. Maybe his other classes are just really spectacular! LOL. I know that filling out the same worksheet (multiple, duplicate ones at that ) on a weekly basis is not what my 7th grader wants to be doing. And is not really helping him learn the info. Losing the money is making me hold on to it a bit as well. But you are right in the idea that it is making him dislike the subject even more. :( :mellow: The money is gone, whether he sticks it out or not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I wouldn't waste my kid's time on a class in which she wasn't learning anything and was so below needed grade level. IMO this isn't the time to teach the "don't be a quitter" lesson and from the way you've described him, it doesn't seem like a lesson that he needs to be taught. He sounds like a conscientious student. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 (edited) I've had classes miss the mark. With one, the teacher, the goals, the teacher feedback (frequency and type), and format were all wrong for ny kid. It was a huge mistake. The teacher basically said my kid would need to suck it up. The provider offered a switch to a different teacher (which would not have fixed all the problems) and a different level class. Ultimately, nothing fit our schedule, so we dropped it entirely. This year, it was obvious from the beginning that an online instructor was going to be a bad fit for dd#3. (You can see what I did in my first impressions of online classes thread. She switched to a better teacher.) I will say that there are classes where it is hard to see the big picture of where the class is going when you are at the beginning. If you find posts of mine about dd#1's writing class last year at this time, I was annoyed at the teacher's seemingly haphazard way of teaching and how chaotic class time was, among other things. We stuck with it and I was amazed at how much dd learned in the end. So, I'm glad we stuck it out. I'd be contacting the teacher with your concerns first, then the provider. If he could switch to another class that would be more beneficial,I'd do that before quitting. But, if the teacher and provider are not helpful, I'd let him drop. Edited October 3, 2017 by RootAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 A few years ago, my DD had an online class that was a really bad fit. The teacher was unorganized and struggled with the technology. Neither of us understood the point of many assignments, and the balance of content in the class did not match what was promised in the class description. I had DD drop the class, even though it was after the refund deadline. Another mom I know IRL had a child in that class, and they stuck it out for the year, and the class didn't get better. Other classes in other subjects by the provider were great--that one was not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof2cowboys Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Thanks everyone for your great feedback! I think injust needed to hear from other moms that it was okay--maybe a bit of permission to let him drop. 😜 You know how those homeschoolers are---so flakey! 😂 In all honesty, you all hit the nail on the head with everything you wrote. We would just be spinning our wheels. Basically he would be occupied for that online class time but that's about as far as that would go--he wouldn't be learning one thing which would totally disappoint me at the end of the semester and make him really dislike this subject. Thanks everyone. I don't mind sharing our experience in a PM if you have a child near the 6-7 grade level and are looking at online courses. We have some we really love as well 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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