I hate teacher conferences!

[fivefordisney]

http://www.tutorvista.com/

Try this website. I saw it featured on the Today Show. It is supposedly great tutoring at very reasonable prices.

Good luck!

 

[Maryr1]

SAHM here. Mother to a special ed developmentally delayed DD8. I would look that teacher in the eye, tell her ALL the wonderful things about your daughter and then press her with-"if you can't teach MY daughter-who comes to you prepared and ready to learn and with all the support a child can have-then WHO can you teach to pass these test's?" PLEASE! It is so not about the test and ALL about the kids......Your daughter is happy, well rounded and successful in her own right. Let's embrace and enjoy that. I will say that my daughters teachers are so wonderful and have accepted that there is a big picture here-and that we all work together to help her reach her full potential and have an educational experiance that will help her learn to love learning. The test is the test-but does it test the kids or does it test the teacher?

 

[Pigeon]

I hope you donned your flame suit. What an ignorant thing to write! It just so happens that I'm a stay at home mom and I love it.

And if the child grows up and wants to be a stay at home mother, that's fine. But she's now 13. She might want to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer or a stay at home mother. Why not see that she's well educated in the basics so that she can make that choice for herself when she grows up?

 

[laurie31]

I took the "she'll be a great mom" comment to mean that although she might not be class valedectorian one day, she can still handle the most important job out there and make a significant contribution to society not that she'll have to "settle" for that, but rather she'll be great at it. (and yes, Dads are just as important, but I think that's the one job she will not be qualified for )

I do work outside the home, but being a mom is more challenging and gives me more pride than my paid job. Sadly, I do get more respect from the community in general (not my friends) when they find out what I do.

Sure the OPs child could be a doctor, lawyer (no algebra needed for law if I'm not mistaken) or just about any other job out there, but not everyone is a good mom. (and if you doubt that, just read some of the threads around here )

And to EeyoreFan1,
I could have written that when I was 13, only my parents didn't pressure me. Things did get MUCH better for me in high school, so there is hope. I still remember with pain how terrible 7th and 8th grades were. I know it seems like an eternity away now, but one day you will be in college and life will be good. And one day, far into the future, you will go to your high school reunion and be the envy of all those dorks who made fun of you for being smart

 

[ozarkmom]

These standardized tests are such a pain. My boys are great students but my DD struggles especially in math & science. She works her tail off and has alot of tears in order to keep a C in those classes then has to worry that if she doesn't do well on the stupid year end test she can be held back. I'm so tired of those tests being the most important thing instead of what they're actually accomplishing in class.

 

[noodleknitter]

Can you work with her re. her testing skills? My husband is incredibly intelligent, but was awful with tests. We worked on "not thinking so much!", which sounds like your daughters problem too.

Of course, a cute math tutor never hurt! Sure did help me. And then I finally "got" it. Don't know if it was developmental or what, but the tutor sure didn't hurt!

 

[tracy51]

One thing I've never understood is if these test are supposed to test that the children are being taught what they need to be taught why all the worry about a B-C student passing them? I mean if she's passing the class then she should have a "passing" knowledge of what she's being taught and therefore should pass any test that truly tests what they are being taught.

Okay, hope that wasn't as conrfusing to read as it was to write. What I basically mean is that if your daughter is making B's & C's she's passing the class. It should mean that she knows the subjects - not perfectly but certainly at an acceptable level. If she fails the test there's 1 of 2 problems - either she didn't deserve those passing grade or the test didn't really test what they were supposed to be learning. I'd have no problem if the test truly tested to make sure that the kids really did learn what they were supposed to have learned in that grade. Then there'd be no need for all this teaching test that goes on. Right now I don't think most of these test really test the students knowledge of that grade level material. I think they test that the student knows how to take that test. After all they spend all year taking practice tests and rather than having periodic reviews of the subject matter. JMHO

To the OP - Does your daughter like puzzles? Like logic type problems? If so, try getting her to do those. This is going to sound odd, but that's how my 8th grade Algebra teacher taught us. Every Friday we did logic problem worksheets/quizzes. One time I asked her why we wasted time in math class playing games and she told me that all that Algebra really was was a puzzle. She got us thinking the way you need to think to solve those puzzle and Algebra became a whole lot easier for us. My DD is 12 and they are brushing on some Algebra in math. It was really frustrating her so I told her to start looking at it like a puzzle. It helped her relax and not feel so overwhelmed by the numbers and letters. Might not work for your daughter but it might be worth a shot. Just get her to look at in a little bit different way.

We went through the same thing with my daughter but in reading. She was a very slow reader and struggled with it. Her class was the first that was subject to needing to pass these yearly exams in order to move up the next grade. It wasn't every subject every year, but it was atleast one subject a year. The summer before the grade she'd be required to pass the reading test we were very worried (3rd grade I think) We had a wonderful babysitter that worked with her and got her to enjoy reading. Not only did she pass the reading test but she earned a commended score on it - I think she only missed 3 questions on the test. She still struggles with her reading grades, but every year she scores amazingly well on those stupid tests. So don't give up on her passing those test yest. Try to find a good tutor that will help her understand and enjoy math. It's very hard to do well at something you absolutely loath. A good teacher, or tutor, will find a way to reach the student and show them how to enjoy and not just grind through the subject.

Sorry to be so long winded.

 

[Hedy]

Good vibes. I don't think anyone except the idiot politicians who think NCLB helps education. [gets off soapbox]
I second the getting a tutor/loving your kid suggestions. FWIW, I did not do well in pre-Algebra/Algebra in my early teens (hormones and social problems=not a good mix). However, I went on to do well in high school, graduate with honors, and attend a top ranked college.

 

[mickeyboat]

A high school or local college student might be good alternative to the tutoring centers, and a whole lot cheaper, too.

Denae

 

[nuke]

Algebra is all about making it click in your brain. When you get a teacher that can get that to happen it's easy after that. I didn't "get" it until college and then I sailed through.

Good luck.

 

[Cindyluwho]

I hope you donned your flame suit. What an ignorant thing to write! It just so happens that I'm a stay at home mom and I love it. This lifestyle allows me time for volunteer work @ DD's school and in the community.
BTW,my IQ is 151 and I don't consider my choice a limitation in any way.

Whoa there!!!! She didn't say anything bad about being a mother she just stated that it would bad to LIMIT her to being a mother. It would be just as bad to LIMIT her to being an airline pilot or doctor, etc. Why have only ONE choice? Take off yer knickers, untie them, iron them out and put them back on. In other words, don't get your knickers in a knot because you have issues with how others feel about stay at home moms, this poster did nothing to slam moms IMHO. sheesh

 

[mom2boys]

I feel your pain. Both of my boys are "B" students in a highly competative community. If you aren't a straight A student in all honors classes and a star athlete in this town, you are considered an underachiever. My kids like sports but are small for their age which puts them at a disadvantage. They are great kids and as long as they do their best in school, I am content.

I have to reteach my 6th grader math every night. He says the teacher confuses him. We usually work through the first problem together, talk through the second one and he does the rest on his own.

 

[declansdad]

SAHM here. Mother to a special ed developmentally delayed DD8. I would look that teacher in the eye, tell her ALL the wonderful things about your daughter and then press her with-"if you can't teach MY daughter-who comes to you prepared and ready to learn and with all the support a child can have-then WHO can you teach to pass these test's?" PLEASE! It is so not about the test and ALL about the kids......Your daughter is happy, well rounded and successful in her own right. Let's embrace and enjoy that. I will say that my daughters teachers are so wonderful and have accepted that there is a big picture here-and that we all work together to help her reach her full potential and have an educational experiance that will help her learn to love learning. The test is the test-but does it test the kids or does it test the teacher?

I must have missed something in the original post. Where did the teacher say that she couldn't help the op'd daughter. I think that she was keeping the op in the loop so they could work together.

To the op, have your daughter work with a tutor. Sometimes having something explained by a second person helps all the pieces to fall in place.

 

[noodleknitter]

It doesn't really matter what the test tests, if passing is necessary to move on to 9th grade, now does it? The issue at hand is to work within the system the young lady is in.

Minkydog, I still say go for the cute tutor. And work with her testing skills.