Blair magnet 9th grade question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's terrible that kids have to ride in the bus rather than study, but MCPS deliberately placed magnets in the two furthest corners of Montgomery County. But this is what you get with a lottery-based magnet.

Fortunately you're mistaken. There is no lottery.

Oh, my, what short-term memories we have.

At the TPMS magnet in 2019? Of course it did. It was how MCPS weasled out of a discrimination lawsuit by rendering it moot, remember?

we aren't talking about TPMS. There has never been a lottery at Blair..

Also there was no lottery at TPMS in 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before this goes totally off the rails, a piece of unsolicited advice for the OP.

Encourage your child to begin solving his own problems. There will be amazing teachers, and just fine teachers throughout the next four years, inside and outside the magnet. With that said, there are tons of resources available, particularly in math.

Information about Math Honor Society tutoring is prominently featured on the bulletin boards of every math classroom I've ever been in at Blair. This information is typically repeated on the Canvas page for the class, as part of the syllabus.

Before you tackle this for your child, ask what resources they have already accessed and where they have looked for information. This is going to be an important skill moving forward, so many as well practice now while there is still a safety net.

Good parents step in and help.

I'd be more worried that your child has not found these resources himself or herself. It's true that they talk about the peer tutoring repeatedly at Blair. The kids that do it are very smart and very generous with their time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before this goes totally off the rails, a piece of unsolicited advice for the OP.

Encourage your child to begin solving his own problems. There will be amazing teachers, and just fine teachers throughout the next four years, inside and outside the magnet. With that said, there are tons of resources available, particularly in math.

Information about Math Honor Society tutoring is prominently featured on the bulletin boards of every math classroom I've ever been in at Blair. This information is typically repeated on the Canvas page for the class, as part of the syllabus.

Before you tackle this for your child, ask what resources they have already accessed and where they have looked for information. This is going to be an important skill moving forward, so many as well practice now while there is still a safety net.

Good parents step in and help.

I'd be more worried that your child has not found these resources himself or herself. It's true that they talk about the peer tutoring repeatedly at Blair. The kids that do it are very smart and very generous with their time.

+1 I think folks are trying to be kind here, but OP needs to know that these services are easily available and widely advertised. Here's the home page for the MBHS math department, where the tutoring is prominently featured: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhs-mathematics/home

From experience, I will say that teachers are also more accomodating when they see a kid trying to help themselves first. That's what folks are trying to help OP understand - high school is meant to be a time when kids start taking over responsibility for their own learning in preparation for college. Accessing the assistance that is advertised on the bulletin board, in the syllabus, and on the web page is a very low bar for beginning that journey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

It's a new teacher this year, who is new to Blair. My 9th grader likes the teacher, but has also had some challenges with adjusting to the fast pace. The teacher does not always cover everything in class, and my kid has definitely had to learn to ask for help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

It's a new teacher this year, who is new to Blair. My 9th grader likes the teacher, but has also had some challenges with adjusting to the fast pace. The teacher does not always cover everything in class, and my kid has definitely had to learn to ask for help.

Oh I’m glad to hear this. In that case it sounds like normal transition issues. My experience with my kid has shown that math is by far the heaviest lift in terms of workload in the magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

It's a new teacher this year, who is new to Blair. My 9th grader likes the teacher, but has also had some challenges with adjusting to the fast pace. The teacher does not always cover everything in class, and my kid has definitely had to learn to ask for help.

Oh I’m glad to hear this. In that case it sounds like normal transition issues. My experience with my kid has shown that math is by far the heaviest lift in terms of workload in the magnet.

Honestly, math and specifically pre-calculus is where a lot of high performing kids inside and outside the magnets hit a wall in HS. It's normal and that is also why most high schools offer daily or near-daily support from peer tutors and teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

NP. The old teacher was okay. There are parents that complain about every teacher especially in the magnet when their kids aren't performing the way the parents think they should be performing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before this goes totally off the rails, a piece of unsolicited advice for the OP.

Encourage your child to begin solving his own problems. There will be amazing teachers, and just fine teachers throughout the next four years, inside and outside the magnet. With that said, there are tons of resources available, particularly in math.

Information about Math Honor Society tutoring is prominently featured on the bulletin boards of every math classroom I've ever been in at Blair. This information is typically repeated on the Canvas page for the class, as part of the syllabus.

Before you tackle this for your child, ask what resources they have already accessed and where they have looked for information. This is going to be an important skill moving forward, so many as well practice now while there is still a safety net.

Good parents step in and help.

I'd be more worried that your child has not found these resources himself or herself. It's true that they talk about the peer tutoring repeatedly at Blair. The kids that do it are very smart and very generous with their time.

My kid is not at Blair but math issues so we got a tutor. They don’t have time in school and the professional tutor is affordable and far better. My kids know they can count on me when they need help. Try it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

NP. The old teacher was okay. There are parents that complain about every teacher especially in the magnet when their kids aren't performing the way the parents think they should be performing.

They are compressing the math. You need a strong teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

NP. The old teacher was okay. There are parents that complain about every teacher especially in the magnet when their kids aren't performing the way the parents think they should be performing.

They are compressing the math. You need a strong teacher.

The kids need to take a slower class or practice more. The kids in the advanced magnet classes did a lot of extra studying at home in ES/MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a 9th grader in Blair math/science magnet and feels like they need extra help or tutoring for math. We are new to mcps and still not sure how to navigate everything. DC (and other classmates) feels like the math teacher isn’t explaining in a way that they completely understand so would like to seek help from someone besides the teacher. Is there any peer tutoring at school available for magnet 9th graders? Or honor society tutoring service? I guess we could hire a private tutor if necessary but figured I would check if school would have any options. Open to any suggestions - thanks !

The teacher is fine. But it's not unusual for some students to have a challenging time with magnet math in the first year. They are not used to this level of depth and feel frustrated because they are used to getting easy As so when they don't get something they blame the teacher.

OP many students seek help from the honor society students or try to find peers or older magnet students to help them. There are always kids who have outside tutors too. Do not worry.

If it’s the same teacher as last year, she is not fine. She doesn’t teach the subject. The kids are expected to teach themselves, essentially. She also repeatedly assigns test questions in subjects never mentioned in class, and when asked for feedback is dismissive and ridicules the kids. She doesn’t provide help when asked. There have been many, many complaints.

NP. The old teacher was okay. There are parents that complain about every teacher especially in the magnet when their kids aren't performing the way the parents think they should be performing.

They are compressing the math. You need a strong teacher.

A strong teacher can help but your child needs to learn how to work through a problem themselves. It can be really hard in 9th for many kids especially if they are used to everything being easy but after that most of the magnet kids are really successful because they have learned how to tough it out and exactly what you said. They learn how to teach themselves which is what the real world looks like in many situations.

[Anonymous]

One other thought for the OP — in addition to Ostrander, another resource is Mr Schafer, the 9th grade magnet team lead (or something to that effect). He really seems to care about the mental well being of the kids and I suspect would also provide advice to help the kid find resources/help (he would also talk to you as the parent, but generally agree that it’s a good step for the kid to try to navigate for help on their own first).