Advice for teen to deal with tough teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your kid in an advanced math class and doesn’t belong there? Or is she in the slowest class?

That’s one question I have too.

Also are you open to a 504 for anxiety?

[Anonymous]

OP, on the question of tutoring, one of my college going nephews does it, and charges something like $20 an hour, so it is pretty affordable. He has kids that only use him for test prep, and says they’d be better served with having regular sessions so they understand better, and won’t need to test prep.

[Anonymous]

If you're in FCPS you can ask the teacher for a copy of a textbook. My DD liked having a resource to review when she didn't understand things. If that hadn't helped, our next step was going to be tutoring. I don't know if Krypton tutoring is still in business or not, but I've used them in the past and the tutor was very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, you cannot make a jerk not be a jerk. The life lesson is how to work around these people, and I would be very clear with my kid that this is the skill set they are learning this year.

Try peer tutoring, online resources, tutoring, etc. Mathnasium has been great for my middle
school kid. We do Mondays and Wednesdays to optimize help during the school week.

[Anonymous]

Help from someone else. If your DC has a good relationship with another math teacher perhaps start there during office hours or before after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Help from someone else. If your DC has a good relationship with another math teacher perhaps start there during office hours or before after school.

My kid goes to office hours and the teacher does not show up. My kid's teacher is sick a lot and at the worst times. Bronchitis at mid-term and again right before the end of the quarter. What can you do! It sucks. I understand it sucks being sick too. She prob got germs from her students.

Get a tutor or ask the honor society for help.

[Anonymous]

I am so sick of the teacher response, “maybe this isn’t the right class for you” in response to kids struggling or asking for help. Shouldn’t challenging material require some of a struggle / extra effort?? That response from the teacher - which my kids also encountered, always in math btw - is the opposite of the resilience-building we are encouraged to foster in kids. I think most teachers have given up doing all but the minimum. So sadly OP, yes I think you need to help your kid find khan academy videos and use the peer tutoring centering (which is very hit or miss at our school).

[Anonymous]

My DS has a similar but not identical situation. He's not struggling in the class but the teacher is a jerk when he asks questions. A friend suggested talking to the counselor and it seemed like a great suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not acceptable and these teachers would not get away with it if parents pushed back. I would ask for a meeting with the teacher, the math department chair, and the grade level administrator. Don’t put your anxious kid on the spot here. Report what you understand the problem to be, ask for clarification, and ask the admin what the guidelines are concerning these issues. Be calm and professional. Try to bring notes of when these issues happened.

It’s likely that you are not the first parent to complain. If the situation doesn’t improve, insist that your child to be moved to another class. Nobody needs to put up with this crap.

-Teacher

+1. This isn't tough. It's lazy.

+2

[Anonymous]

What level math is it? I would have DC email teacher and ask if there is a day that they could meet during lunch to review. Does your DC have friends in the class? Sometimes getting a study group together to work on assignments can help all of the kids learn things they're missing. Get a group of 4 to work on assignments together during lunch or after school via FaceTime. Also, everything is on YouTube.

[Anonymous]

Agree about an outside tutor. You have to find a really good one who knows your school and that teacher in particular. Peer tutoring is also helpful.

Your kid just has to bear through it and try to get the best grade possible. Some teachers are legendary jerks, and despite years of complaints they never change.

My kid had a teacher like this last year and felt grateful to escape with a B. She told me there were routinely kids who cried in class or after class.

[Anonymous]

Is this a public or private school? What math class is it- algebra, algebra 2, precalc? Is it honors or not?

There are so many online resources now. My child has an awful teacher so I bought a homeschool Algebra 2 program. So I helped my child figure out how to sync what they are learning in class (well supposedly learning because the awful teacher doesn’t really teach or allow questions) with the online lessons.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes it’s impossible to sync online resources to a class. My kid’s math teacher made her own tests. It was nearly impossible to do well on them. They weren’t aligned to what she taught the kids in class, they had trick questions and sometimes she’d mark correct answers wrong! She wouldn’t hear from kids after class if they had questions. She’d say, no I’m busy, I don’t have time. Her word was final and her grading wasn’t for debate. She absolutely would punish you if you “told” on her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been in this position as a (poor) math student. I learned to say, "yes, you explained it, but I don't understand it. Can you please teach me again?" And if they tried the same approach, I'd say something along the lines of, "That was the same way you explained it before. I really don't get it. Is there another way to tackle this problem?"

OP this is what she should say. Also, "If you don't have time to explain it again now, can I come at lunch or after school instead? When is a good time for you?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What level math is it? I would have DC email teacher and ask if there is a day that they could meet during lunch to review. Does your DC have friends in the class? Sometimes getting a study group together to work on assignments can help all of the kids learn things they're missing. Get a group of 4 to work on assignments together during lunch or after school via FaceTime. Also, everything is on YouTube.

Please do not ask a teacher to sacrifice their break/lunch time. There are better times for this and most schools have designated times for seeking extra help.