Anyone else seeing significant drop off in motivation to do DL schoolwork 2nd semester?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again — nice to see upper class HSers with some motivation. They can see the end goal. My middle schoolers, not so much, even the one taking classes now for HS credit. Ugh.

Thank you. I’m the PP with the junior who is digging in and determined. And I definitely don’t want to come off as “DL is great and my kid is thriving, because I’m an awesome parent”. That’s not it. You’re 100% right. Her brother is a freshman in college and got on campus and in person classes for both semesters. She’s researching colleges. She sees the finish line. MS kids are in a much worse position from that perspective. My kid knows that no matter how much FCPS continues to screw up, she’s done it a year, and 2 or 3 quarters from now (depending on ED), all the work that matter will have posted. There’s a clear end, and she is watching a sibling love college during COVID, so she knows it will get better.

Honestly for MS, I would— yes— give your kid some Grace. Anything he does or doesn’t do won’t hurt him long term. Even HS credit classes can be retaken without appearing or the transcript or expunged. IMO, it’s okay a year in to pick your academic battles with a MS kid. They don’t have a clear end in sight. It might help to put in extra effort to help your kid find some “normal” this summer. In person anything. Send him to DP stay with relatives. Anything to break up the monotony.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Yes, my poor 6th grader drags himself to virtual class, rolling his eyes and whining. I don't blame him. We are supposed to go hybrid in April and he's excited about that.

[Anonymous]

My 7th grader who has never gotten anything lower than a B flat-out failed her last algebra test, and didn’t seem to care at all about the grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My senior says “I came this far, I’m not screwing it up now.” It’s clear that DL is causing mental and physical strain, though, so without that motivation, I’m fairly certain that I would be seeing a lot less effort at this point.

This is my junior. And there is no humble brag here. I’m frankly surprised. She has ADHD and spring was mess. 2 B-s (and 5 As) because she just couldn’t manage to get 3rd Q assignments in for two classes, no matter how many chances she got. I was dreading this year and thought it would be a frustrating mess. But, she did not like where she ended up last spring and agreed to an EF coach. And put 110% in this fall. Will end Q3 with 6As and @ B+, 4 APs. And now that she is doing well, she is more motivated than she was a year ago. She says this is the most important year for college, that her teachers seem to love that she is prepared and participating and that she has worked too hard to prove to colleges that she could take all the crap COVID threw at her amd keep going. In e fall, she wanted to do well. Right now, she is determined to finish strong and really have something to show for this year. To not let COzvID and FCPs and DL win.

Like I said. Not a brag or humble brag. This is not what I predicted would happen and my kid has her share of unenviable traits. She is very stubborn and very determined. I think we got very lucky she channeled it into proving she can succeed, rather than proving DL sucks and and she is destined to fail. Because it really could have gone either way.

But it is a brag. No one cares about this (level of detail).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Second semester senior, straight As first semester, could care less this semester. Already accepted to college, we are fine letting her slack. DL is a joke anyway. She'll study for APs and call it a day.

This is my second semester senior too. And same sentiment from us as well. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too used to it and brings it back up for college in the fall!

[Anonymous]

You guys should all put them in hybrid. It has made a huge difference for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 7th grader did great and thus semester I really could see the burnout. Thankfully, starting hybrid this week has put a pep back in him. It’s so good not to see him glued to the desk in his bedroom and actually getting out of the house to go in person.

OP here — my 7th grader has a tiny bit of pep this as he sees who is and isn’t in school, who is being sent home w/ COVID(-like) symptoms. It’s like a new game. He’s still dragging on homework (all caught up) but at least there is something NEW to watch. SMH

Ha! True. Unfortunately, my kid is the only one in his friend group with a last name in the first half of the alphabet so he goes in different days than everyone else in the neighborhood. He still prefers it to being stuck in his room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys should all put them in hybrid. It has made a huge difference for us.

I 100% agree.

My kids were doing great with DL. 9th & 7th. But, I could see it was starting to drag on. Going in for hybrid has been the great game changer to bring them back around.

[Anonymous]

My kids have a 3rd quarter slump every single year, DL or not. It's definitely worse this year, but Q3 seems to be when it all goes downhill for us every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second semester senior, straight As first semester, could care less this semester. Already accepted to college, we are fine letting her slack. DL is a joke anyway. She'll study for APs and call it a day.

This is my second semester senior too. And same sentiment from us as well. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too used to it and brings it back up for college in the fall!

So what does that mean though for a grade? I also have a going into fourth quarter senior. Holding steady so far but if all motivation gets lost in fourth-quarter what happens? Only child so I haven’t been through this before. The college she’s accepted to actually does care about their grades I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have a 3rd quarter slump every single year, DL or not. It's definitely worse this year, but Q3 seems to be when it all goes downhill for us every year.

Same here!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys should all put them in hybrid. It has made a huge difference for us.

DCPS is not offering any option but virtual at my kids' middle school. They've brought back about 10% of students district-wide.
It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second semester senior, straight As first semester, could care less this semester. Already accepted to college, we are fine letting her slack. DL is a joke anyway. She'll study for APs and call it a day.

This is my second semester senior too. And same sentiment from us as well. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too used to it and brings it back up for college in the fall!

So what does that mean though for a grade? I also have a going into fourth quarter senior. Holding steady so far but if all motivation gets lost in fourth-quarter what happens? Only child so I haven’t been through this before. The college she’s accepted to actually does care about their grades I think.

Colleges can and sometimes do revoke acceptance if kids let grades completely fall second semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second semester senior, straight As first semester, could care less this semester. Already accepted to college, we are fine letting her slack. DL is a joke anyway. She'll study for APs and call it a day.

This is my second semester senior too. And same sentiment from us as well. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too used to it and brings it back up for college in the fall!

So what does that mean though for a grade? I also have a going into fourth quarter senior. Holding steady so far but if all motivation gets lost in fourth-quarter what happens? Only child so I haven’t been through this before. The college she’s accepted to actually does care about their grades I think.

Colleges can and sometimes do revoke acceptance if kids let grades completely fall second semester.

Yes, colleges can and do rescind offers of admission. They will do so for poor grades on your final transcript and/or for school expulsions, suspensions, honor violations, and tangles with the law depending on the situation. They will want to know the circumstances and will evaluate the situation case by case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second semester senior, straight As first semester, could care less this semester. Already accepted to college, we are fine letting her slack. DL is a joke anyway. She'll study for APs and call it a day.

This is my second semester senior too. And same sentiment from us as well. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too used to it and brings it back up for college in the fall!

So what does that mean though for a grade? I also have a going into fourth quarter senior. Holding steady so far but if all motivation gets lost in fourth-quarter what happens? Only child so I haven’t been through this before. The college she’s accepted to actually does care about their grades I think.

Colleges can and sometimes do revoke acceptance if kids let grades completely fall second semester.

Yes, colleges can and do rescind offers of admission. They will do so for poor grades on your final transcript and/or for school expulsions, suspensions, honor violations, and tangles with the law depending on the situation. They will want to know the circumstances and will evaluate the situation case by case.

Admissions staff need to think differently this year about how they assess or evaluate. This is an extraordinary time for most teens. DL burnout is real. My senior is so tired of it. Some mornings it’s hard for him to get out of bed to be on a screen all day. Hell, I am burned out from daily ZOOM and Teams calls. These are extenuating circumstances. Period.