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If you had a high school senior who is just done and having trouble staying motivated. I could use advice.


lynn
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What to do with a senior who has all but given up and just want to move on with life.   He wants to do the military, turns 18 in March.  I am seriously thinking virtual school  to to get him to graduate.   Any advice from those who have btdt.    

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What to do with a senior who has all but given up and just want to move on with life.   He wants to do the military, turns 18 in March.  I am seriously thinking virtual school  to to get him to graduate.   Any advice from those who have btdt.    

 

 

My senior is also just 'done'.  I am pushing him to keep at it though because he wants to go on to tech school.  Oh how I remember feeling the exact same way.  I could. not. wait. to graduate and go to work.

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What credits does he have so far, and how many more would he need to graduate? Does the military have any requirements (or preferences) in terms of HS courses/credits? I would look at what is the minimum he needs to meet his goals, and work back from there. If all he really needs is a 4th English credit and a couple of electives, then do the minimum to check those boxes and graduate him. He doesn't have to be reading Shakespeare and writing literary analysis essays for 12th grade English, he could do something that's more related to his interests. If doing more than the bare minimum would help him with career goals in the military, help him find the most efficient way of meeting those. Would he be willing to do a few CLEPs or DANTEs? Some of them are supposed to be pretty easy and that might be a way to both finish HS and get a head start on college credits that would help him in the military.

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What credits does he have so far, and how many more would he need to graduate? Does the military have any requirements (or preferences) in terms of HS courses/credits? I would look at what is the minimum he needs to meet his goals, and work back from there. If all he really needs is a 4th English credit and a couple of electives, then do the minimum to check those boxes and graduate him. He doesn't have to be reading Shakespeare and writing literary analysis essays for 12th grade English, he could do something that's more related to his interests. If doing more than the bare minimum would help him with career goals in the military, help him find the most efficient way of meeting those. Would he be willing to do a few CLEPs or DANTEs? Some of them are supposed to be pretty easy and that might be a way to both finish HS and get a head start on college credits that would help him in the military.

Yes! A kid doesn't have to go all the way to May to be able to graduate, as long as enough credits are earned. Find a way to make that happen. The early graduation goal can be an incentive.

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I cannot find the article   now, but earlier today, on the Home Page of FoxNews.com there was an article about how the U.S. Army is going to lower their standards for recruits, because they need to add 80,000 people, by the end of September 2018. If your DS has *ANY* interest in joining the U.S. Military, he will need to be a High School graduate. Either from Home School or from another school.  Good luck to him!

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Agreeing with Corraleno, and just adding: DO GRADUATE and AWARD THE DIPLOMA. All branches of the military accept parent-awarded diplomas with no problems. Do NOT go for the GED!! The military is accepting virtually NO MORE GED applicants, and the few rare ones they do accept are only eligible for the tier 2 or 3 positions, and cannot get to the tier 1 positions.

 

Also, be sure to have your student study, study, study for the ASVAB this spring before taking the test, as the score on that test will determine how many positions and types of positions your student will be eligible to try for in the military:

 

what is the ASVAB -- also has links to practice tests

sample/practice questions

ASVAB study guides

Edited by Lori D.
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If he goes into the military he'll be on course soon enough, which is not totally unlike school.  Some of the work can seem irrelevant or boring, and you need to decide to achieve in order to do well in your career.

 

Maybe encourage him to think of this school year in the same way - the very first part of his new job.   Maybe even set it up similarly - go for PT in the morning, start right on time, etc.

Edited by Bluegoat
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Also, if possible, see if DS can join one of the junior/cadet military programs, even this late into 12th grade. It will look great as an extracurricular, and it will get him started with the formal aspects of military training early:

 

Air Force Auxiliary: Junior Civil Air Patrol

Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp

Army ROTC 

Navy Sea Cadet

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I don't know how this works, but there are students in High School who have joined the military and they are waiting to go to Basic Training after they graduate.  I don't think those people are in the Reserves or National Guard, but that's a possibility. There are a lot of opportunities for education for people, while in the military and after they are out.

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Thanks for the encouragement and ideas.  He's a smart kid 33 first time on ACT up until now 3.7 gpa.   There's 2 things this kid does not like 1. writing. Although he does well on assignments on books especially something he's passionate about 2. talking about himself.  The part that is giving him issues right now is he did not want to take ap English because of all the writing and thought regular English would be a breeze.  Well it was until the teacher started having the kids put together a memory book and has them writing about themselves using essays about a life event that changed their life or a poem about where you are from.  See the issue.  I have a friend who heads up a Way Home homeschooling here and I might just talk to her about completing his last few credits at home rather than see him fail.   DS has also expressed to us that he has no interest in the graduation ceremony....sigh

 

Now if I go the homeschooling route vs virtual school  what English program for this kid.  I think that is the only credits that are a year round class.   to finish.  I'll have to ask him.  I think he has a winter class in computers that could be his elective or anything history.  Okay sorry I'm rambling, dh is traveling today so can't talk it out until later.        If you need to add anything that would be great.

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... 1. writing. Although he does well on assignments on books especially something he's passionate about 2. talking about himself... Well it was until the teacher started having the kids put together a memory book and has them writing about themselves using essays about a life event that changed their life or a poem about where you are from...

 

Just an aside in response to this:

I've been teaching Lit & Comp co-op classes for our homeschool gr. 7-12 students and would NEVER require creative writing from them like this ! ! ! That is SOOOOO NOT happening for SO many students -- why on EARTH do teachers do this!  :eek: What I DO try for is to give students an OPTION on some assignments -- a creative writing option, AND a more factual type of writing option. Most of the writing is much more functional -- how to construct paragraphs, write essays of different types (comparison, analysis, cause/effect, descriptive, process) and then the research paper with citations. Students who enjoy creative writing are already doing that on the side or through a special creative writing class...

 

 

If you DIY (do it yourself) for the English credit, it would be easy enough to tailor it to your DS's interests and needs. All the assignments can be factual: technical writing, research papers, writing for oral presentations, and real-life business writing -- all of which would be excellent prep for military or a job.

 

Sounds like you have the possibility of a local tutor to oversee instruction and grading, and make the spring semester all about that non-creative writing. For this semester, perhaps you could just finish up with Literature that would be of interest to DS -- genre of particular interest to your DS, or non-fiction and biographies and essays -- and have him do 2-3 short reader responses (1-5 paragraphs) to a prompt question for some of those works.

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Oh I was assuming your son was homeschooled — he's in PS? If he has been in PS since 9th, I would not pull him out of school halfway through 12th grade, especially if the biggest problem is that he just doesn't want to do certain writing assignments in English class. That is not going to look good, IMO. Does he really think he can quit school and join the military in March without a diploma? I would have him talk to a recruiter, who will explain the importance of finishing school. You can talk to the teacher about letting him do alternative writing assignments, like Patty Joanna mentioned. 

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Oh I was assuming your son was homeschooled — he's in PS? If he has been in PS since 9th, I would not pull him out of school halfway through 12th grade, especially if the biggest problem is that he just doesn't want to do certain writing assignments in English class. That is not going to look good, IMO. Does he really think he can quit school and join the military in March without a diploma? I would have him talk to a recruiter, who will explain the importance of finishing school. You can talk to the teacher about letting him do alternative writing assignments, like Patty Joanna mentioned.

I agree. No switching this late in the game. He can get through it if he wants. He just has to decide it is important enough.

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Thanks for the encouragement and ideas.  He's a smart kid 33 first time on ACT up until now 3.7 gpa.   There's 2 things this kid does not like 1. writing. Although he does well on assignments on books especially something he's passionate about 2. talking about himself.  The part that is giving him issues right now is he did not want to take ap English because of all the writing and thought regular English would be a breeze.  Well it was until the teacher started having the kids put together a memory book and has them writing about themselves using essays about a life event that changed their life or a poem about where you are from.  See the issue.  I have a friend who heads up a Way Home homeschooling here and I might just talk to her about completing his last few credits at home rather than see him fail.   DS has also expressed to us that he has no interest in the graduation ceremony....sigh

 

Now if I go the homeschooling route vs virtual school  what English program for this kid.  I think that is the only credits that are a year round class.   to finish.  I'll have to ask him.  I think he has a winter class in computers that could be his elective or anything history.  Okay sorry I'm rambling, dh is traveling today so can't talk it out until later.        If you need to add anything that would be great.

 

Contact the guidance department to verify the credits he needs to graduate. What he's scheduled for the rest of the year and what he actually NEEDS to graduate are likely not the same. 

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Often senior year a student only needs a few credits to graduate. A student originally on an advanced track may only 1 credit of English to get the standard diploma.

 

When ds was a senior he needed history English math and science courses for the advanced studies diploma, but only history and English to graduate.

 

In your situation, I'd make an appointment with the counselor to review what your DS must finish and figure out how to pare down the schedule.

 

I'd make an appointment with a recruiter, get your DS to take the asvab and have the recruiter talk to him about his options based on asvab and final school performance.

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Oh I was assuming your son was homeschooled — he's in PS? If he has been in PS since 9th, I would not pull him out of school halfway through 12th grade, especially if the biggest problem is that he just doesn't want to do certain writing assignments in English class. That is not going to look good, IMO. Does he really think he can quit school and join the military in March without a diploma? I would have him talk to a recruiter, who will explain the importance of finishing school. You can talk to the teacher about letting him do alternative writing assignments, like Patty Joanna mentioned. 

 

Same here -- thought we were talking homeschool. ;)

 

In that case, again, agreeing with Corraleno about NOT pulling him out 1/3 of the way through 12th grade. Definitely finish it out -- find out what are the bare bones credits DS NEEDS to actually graduate and receive his diploma. See if he can join a local military cadet group. Together with DS, find out what the physical requirements are for enlistment and have DS figure out a way of training for this. for Maybe talk to the school and see if he can earn any needed credit via an internship or independent study. And I agree with Patty Joanna's suggestion of discussing alternative writing assignments with the English teacher.

 

BEST of luck in completing 12th grade! Warmest regards, Lori D.

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