Reply to Walls application

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Walls application - quiet kid"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]Glad this community was able to stay focused on the quiet kid question!

1. I believe a GPA over ~3.87 and superlative teacher recs are key to getting an interview. Ours was something between 3.9 - 4.0 (anything within that range earns the top number of points). He also happens to be socially comfortable and kind. That’s just how it is with him and I can’t really explain it. 
2. If teachers are concerned your kid is too quiet, there is a risk they might hold back a bit on the superlatives in their recs, but I don’t think being too quiet in class an issue for the interview.
3. Interview is not necessarily about being outgoing, but it is about being prepared to verbally communicate thoughtfully (and hopefully to make a positive interpersonal impression within a short period of time). We practiced at home (informally, low-pressure) a couple times to help him get comfortable thinking on his feet and answering questions about himself. It helped him to have some examples in mind that might demonstrate the values they want to see in their students. We also practiced techniques: take a couple moments to organize your thoughts if needed but don’t over-think it; take comfort in knowing there are no wrong answers; understand why they are asking you these questions; use your answers to help them see why you belong there.

Couple of final thoughts: luck probably played a big role, just as it probably played a big role in his high 7th grade GPA. His 6th grade GPA was way lower. We’ve had plenty of bad luck and so this might have been a moment of good luck.

I went to a public school in the burbs. SWW is a totally different kind of school, not because it has amazing teachers or facilities, but because everyone is bright and motivated and it seems like they all genuinely like each other. So far, we have encountered no disruptive, mean, or threatening students. It’s funny how every single DCUM threat devolves into mean and critical exchanges. I assume some of it is trolling? It seems like such a waste of energy.

Are there occasional issues with teachers and admins? Sure. Maybe my expectations of schools and educators are too low, but as long as teachers are for the most part competent and reasonable, we’re good. My kid is responsible for his own education and he knows it. An amazing teacher is a true gift but it’s not a requirement. The job of the school is to just let my kid grow, succeed, and achieve.  A school with a safe, supportive, smart, and highly motivated student culture is pretty much all I care about in a school. SWW has it and that’s why so many people want to send their kids there. It’s a virtuous cycle. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics