"Hire a tutor" said the Algebra teacher

[DisneyTeacher]

I have read all the replies here and have to agree with the majority. Teachers should not be expected to tutor after school. I am a person, a wife, and most importantly, I am a mother. I have my own kids to help with homework after school. I have very little time left for me after I get home, cook supper, pick up, help with homework, and grade papers from the day. I don't have an extra 2 hours to spend tutoring for free after school.

I have 189 students go through my classroom every day, can you imagine the hours I would have to spend helping each student who "doesn't get it"? I have 30 students in most of my 7 classes each day, my classes are 40 minutes long--that gives me just over 90 seconds per student if all I do is give one on one help to my students--no actual teaching. I can't solve all problems in that amount of time. I am always willing to answer questions before and after school but I don't want to tutor on a regular basis. Helping is one thing but tutoring is a whole different thing.

As a parent I expect to have to help my child with homework as there is only so much time during the school day. I expect to help study for spelling tests, vocabulary quizzes, and practice math every week. At this point I can help with everything (elementary level), however, there may be a time when I have to get outside help when my child gets older and the work gets harder. Lucky for us my DH and I are both teachers, my DH teaches at the college level so we have some time yet.

 

[Kallison]

OK I work in a middle school and we had this problem last year -- First of all, maybe he doesn't belong in Algebra and should be placed in pre-Algebra or a plain old math group. Second of all, the teacher teaches 5 periods per day, they have lunch and one planning period. They may have a resource time that they can set up for extra math help -- maybe not, that could be their homeroom time also. Your school may or may not have a remedial math teacher that he can sign up for help. Since your son has Asperger's and ADD I"m assuming he has an IEP and may work with a special teacher to help him in his main stream classes? I do not believe it is the teacher's responsibility to make sure your child is learning the subject matter, I know our teachers have anywhere from 125 to 150 students to monitor in their classes. Tutors are expensive -- other routes would be to learn the material yourself (I've done this) or ask if an older student or high school student is available to hire. It's impossible at the middle/high school level for a teacher to be personally responsible for every child knowing the material. That is where the maturity level comes in and the child taking responsibility on their own. Of course with your son's special needs I do believe he should be getting some kind of assistance from learning support.

 

[klmklm]

on a practical level, here is a website you can use to check algebra problems:

http://www.quickmath.com/

 

[year2late]

AOL has a servicible homework helper as well.

 

[missypie]

OP here: Well, my post certainly generated a lot if interest, if not support. Feeling kind of bad about that and about the entire school year to come. We've hired the tutor. She's come once. Yesterday's homework grade was a 47. If we drop him back to "regular" math, he will be repeating the class he took last year in which he got a high B. It's going to be a very tough year.

 

[sharbear]

Missy,
It's very hard to see a child struggle. Is this the only level of Algebra I that they offer. It's hard because he's still in JH. Our school has three levels of Math placement. Some kids move into the Honors level and some kids drop back into the middle level. We offer Algebra I in Honors and also in another level which is not as demanding. It's easier to move up or down in HS because they offer more levels and it's easier on the kids to not be with the kids in their grade.

My son took Algebra I in the middle level. They spent a lot more time doing review which they really don't do any review in Honors' and they move just so darn fast.

I don't blame you for not wanting him to repeat what he did last year. He did well in that class, I wonder what the problem is this year. Maybe you can call his teacher last year and explain the problem and maybe she will have some insight. After all she had him for a whole year and knows him and she was comfortable with having him remain on the Honors track.

It's hard this whole school thing.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by missypie
OP here: Well, my post certainly generated a lot if interest, if not support. Feeling kind of bad about that and about the entire school year to come. We've hired the tutor. She's come once. Yesterday's homework grade was a 47. If we drop him back to "regular" math, he will be repeating the class he took last year in which he got a high B. It's going to be a very tough year.

Well, if he's been struggling, it's not like one session with a tutor is going to solve it all. Hopefully the test scores will get better.

But, what did the tutor think? Does she think he's grasping the concepts? Did your son seem to understand it all when it was explained by the tutor, but then he froze on the test? Because that's obviously a different problem.

And I'm with the earlier poster -- is there something between "regular" math and the class he's in that might work to transition those skills?