mommy25 Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I am teaching Kindergarten, 4th, and 7th grade. I have a 4 yr old and a 1 year old as well. This is my dilema: I have both of my older dc following the TWTM. The 4th grader is thriving and does very well. She checks off everything for each day and is very thorough in understanding and completing her assignments. My 7th grader is a WHOLE different story. It is very much like pulling teeth. It doesn't bother her a bit when she doesn't complete her assignments. In fact, she does everything she can to get out of finishing her work. When she does do her school work, it is a struggle for her to sit for very long. We have tried grounded her, taking away privilages but this only makes the problem worse. It doesn't bother her to receive a bad grade. She doesn't care if she falls behind her friends. I have to babysit her which I really don't have time for. She has stated more than once how much she hates school and can't wait until it's all over. Their is constant friction and disruption in the house do to this problem. I think I am dealing with two different learning styles here.....I am so frustrated that I just want to either cry or throw my hands up and say forget it! I might just do both! Should I just try a whole different approach with her? :crying: P.S. These are the things she loves to do: Deep cleaning house, decorating, taking care of little ones (bathing them, playing with them etc) and baking. She is very much a little suzy home maker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 (edited) No ideas here, but :grouphug: Sounds like it's a tough situation. Wait: I just have an idea. Perhaps involve her in discussions and read books about women who are exemplary housewives, but at the same time have a sound education. How education helps women, how in the past women have fought for the right to be educated as thoroughly as boys/men.. along those lines. Read about such women, discuss the very real possibility of either divorce, widowhood or any situation that would call upon her to support a family financially as well as emotionally. Just a thought. Edited December 5, 2008 by sagira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela&4boys Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 If it were me... Yes! I would consider another approach and involve her in the decision making process (at least to some degree). Perhaps having more ownership will cause her to take more pride in her work? I'm not sure if faith plays a role, but something less conventional like Oak Meadow might appeal to her. Or maybe you could just tweak what you're doing a bit, tailoring her studies to involve topics on what she's passionate about... essays on what's involved in childcare, writing recipes, compiling a cookbook etc.... This way you could meet in the middle somewhere? My 2 cents :), Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Have you asked her what she wants to be when she grows-up? Perhaps her dearest wish is to be a Mom. You can show her what academics are helpful to being a mom. Does she want to home school? The she needs to learn how to teach and before she learns how to teach she needs to learn how to learn. I have had this same discussion with a friend's daughter who dislikes school but desperately wants to be a good mom when she grows up. We talked a long time about the qualities and education that a great Mom should have. We discussed how having a teaching degree would be really helpful ( not necessary but helpful) or a nursing degree so that she could better take care of her children and help others. She totally understood where I was coming from and my friend says that her daughter has had a different point of view since then. Being a Mom and wife is hard work and the better educated we are the easier it may be. I wish I would have had someone give that advice to me 20 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 You poor thing! :grouphug: How about this...can you think of what aspects of school (not just homemaking) she does like? And, before you (and she) say "none" give it some thought. Does she enjoy working with her hands and creating things? Does she enjoy reading at all (outside of school...just fun reading)? Does she enjoy watching movies? Singing? I do agree that perhaps for this particular child you find a new approach. The challenge is to find an approach that will feed her interests and not cause her to feel completely hateful towards school. See if you can come up with a list of what she does enjoy, and then we'll be in a better position to give suggestions. The situation isn't hopeless! Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 I am teaching Kindergarten, 4th, and 7th grade. I have a 4 yr old and a 1 year old as well. This is my dilema: I have both of my older dc following the TWTM. The 4th grader is thriving and does very well. She checks off everything for each day and is very thorough in understanding and completing her assignments. My 7th grader is a WHOLE different story. It is very much like pulling teeth. It doesn't bother her a bit when she doesn't complete her assignments. In fact, she does everything she can to get out of finishing her work. When she does do her school work, it is a struggle for her to sit for very long. We have tried grounded her, taking away privilages but this only makes the problem worse. It doesn't bother her to receive a bad grade. She doesn't care if she falls behind her friends. I have to babysit her which I really don't have time for. She has stated more than once how much she hates school and can't wait until it's all over. ... I'd consider a couple of possibilities..... 1)possible ADHD - treatment (if she has it)...maybe meds, maybe just a different 'style' of school (ie more active) 2)she needs a different style of information regardless....ie more active, more games, less rote work/paperwork. _get your child off the refrigerator and onto learning_ is very helpful. so are peggy kay's books. even though the games are geared towards youngers, they're easy to adapt for olders. My fourth grader is your 7th grader. :) K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy25 Posted December 6, 2008 Author Share Posted December 6, 2008 Thank you, ladies, for all of your support!!!!!! I feel much better today as I thought about what you guys were saying last night and had a chance to sleep on it. I definitely thinking some 'tweaking' is in order so I think instead of dumping everything I am doing, I may just not require so much work and time for each subject; The goal being to learn the material w/o necessarily finish the book or course by a certain date. Also, involving more of her interests and writing summaries is an excellent idea which I think would help liven things up a bit. Angela - what is Oak Meadow? I would like to look into that. Thanks again, guys!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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