Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Middle School Science and gifted child

^^ I really dislike that word "gifted", but could not think of anything else to put in the title:-)

Some of you may recall my struggles at the beginning of the school year with science for Ghost. 6th grade science was a joke, as he tested out of it towards the end of 5th grade and was allowed to do little projects throught the year on his own and make presentations to classes. Sounds great, doesn't it, but the truth was that those experiments were a few in between and Ghost spend most of science class on the computer, looking up staff. You can imagine what he was looking up....planes, jokes, games etc. So at the beginning of this school year, 7th grade, I was adamant that he is accelerated. Unfortunately, I did not acomplish much. He is being given some extra worksheets by the science teacher, that she takes from her 8th grade class. Very few worksheets and he has to be really reminded to finish them. He likes his science class , they do tons of experiments, but IT IS GOING WAY TOO SLOWLY. So he reads books, when teacher does not look. I did approach her already during the recent P/T conference, that maybe next year he can take an online class, not every day, but let's say twice a week. She became defensive, saying that she has lot's of extra material that she can give him, and that next year she is not going to be a first year teacher and be much better organized, but if I insist...
She is a good teacher! Ghost likes her. The problem thought is that the majority of the student body does not get the material she is presenting and she has to try many different approaches (like making a model of a living cell from salsa) so the kids will pass the end of level. She just does not have the time to concentrate during class on an excelling student. It has nothing to do with the fact that she is a first year teacher. Ghost on the other hand is not very eager about reminding her about those extra worksheets, because they are boring. The circle is complete! She knows that I am not letting Ghost bring books to school, because her class is one of those that he would be reading in 90% of the time. Well, yesterday he took a book and of course got caught right away. They were supposed to be studying silently for the test, which is today. He claims that he knows the material back and forth, but when she took the book away, he also began to study.
He is plainly capable of much, much more. So I have looked up the physics class throught the BYU independent study program.
http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/index.cfm
It costs $120, looks like it is completely self paced, with a proctored exam at the end . It gives 0.5 credit, and here I am confused. What does the 0.5 point mean?
The direct link to the mentioned class is here:
http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/description.cfm?subject=111&course=PHSCS41Physics%252C%2520Part%25201

Your thoughts?

Ania,

I believe 0.5 means it is equivalent to a one semester class.

This course looks really interesting for my DS also. I will look at this more carefully later. The price is nice too!

Thanks for posting the link

Hi Ania,

The BYU classes sound excellent and very affordable--I have looked through their catalog before for my guys. As delbows says, 0.5 credit refers to one semester, so that if Ghost has 3 high school science credits to graduate, and the HS accepts the course for credit, he would need 2.5 semesters more (shouldn't be a problem to get enough credits, but getting a HS to accept it may be--unless you ask for it to count toward the electives).

Would the teacher really let him work online in class? If she's already defensive, I'd worry if she'd really give him her support (time, space, computer, quiet). If you have to do it at home, it's scheduling. I find online courses a great option, but VERY stressful for me. 3 of my kids are doing online work now, and I'm way more worried than they are about their readings, homework, emails from their teachers, schedule, making sure the computer's not wicky-wacky, etc.

Also, Ghost is brilliant. Are you underestimating his ability by doing a standard physics course as opposed to AP physics that he could test for college credit at the end? I read an article in the Washington Post about an average 8th grader who took APEX Learning AP Biology. Suddenly he blossomed, scored a 5 on the test and is now blasting through other AP courses. Ghost is not average.

Even if you don't want to do AP at this point, I'd give the course a shot to supplement and then decide on options for next year (the first year teacher excuse doesn't sound promising for year 2).

How frustrating! Too bad the teacher got defensive, but they are trained that they are able to provide anything, and usually it's true enough. I reccomend to stick to your vision, and keep being a nice, but confident advocate. ((sigh))

Love and More Love,
Grinity

I can't be nice and confident at the same time :-)
Works quite well for my DH, but not for me.

Giggle!
Try to think of a movie star who does it, and observe what they do. Usually it's smile a lot, no matter what you are saying (Bill Clinton) - talk slowly and with a low sweet tone (Ronald Reagan)
It takes practice, but it's worth it!
Grin

Ha, presidents as the biggest manipulators! Good shoot!
Cym, good luck today in your meeting, let us know how it goes please. We are learning so much from each other on this board!

Cym,again, thank you for the nice words about him being brilliant and me underestimating him. Of course he is and of course I am! It takes probably ten statements like that to undo the damage that is being done by the school/teachers/friends, all well meaning people. But is seems like they all think I am a pushy, pushy mom, who can't understand that the kid needs a life!
He has a life for God's sake! He has a very rich after school life, but he also has a HUGE potential and if people other than me do not realize that that potential needs to be nurtured, we are in deep, deep trouble. Of course we are!
The school means well, the teachers mean well, they really try to challenge him, but what they consider a challenge, is not a challenge at all. Extra worksheets from Science - how challenging is that? He can do them in 10 minutes before the school starts (that is actually what he has been doing, forgetting to bring home his science binder on purpose I am sure). An essay a week? It should not be a challenge, it should be a requirement when one is in 7th grade!
The most challenging class for Ghost right now is History. The teacher is great, he lectures. He did teach them at the beginning of the school a certain way to take notes (it is called something, but it eludes me as it means nothing to my brain :-), and now he just does 50 minute lectures, with frequent quizzes. Ghost loves that, he loves the subject, he says himself that this is probably the only class at school that he is learning in, besides math. I think that every subject should be like that!. He still has PE and computer every day to unwind, is it too much to ask for a solid 5 hour core every day?
There is also a problem with Spanish. He is by far the best off all the kids for which Spanish is the second language, but he is not on par with native speakers. They did try to put him with the native speakers, but it was too much. So now Spanish is really a joke! What do you do? I am already lining up a teacher that will give him conversational Spanish all through the next year. But it will have to be after school - and I am not liking that idea too much.
Everyone, everyone that I talk too at the school gives me "the look" - you know what I am talking about. Even if they don't say it, they mean it with their eyes, their body language. Those are the same people that tell me he is phenomenal! And when I try to convey that finding a proper way to go is really a challenge, they all look at me as if I was lunatic.
We talked with DH last night and are thinking that we should change our approach and be very, very frank and open with the school, not hiding our deepest thoughts. We should say that he is a Harvard (or MIT, or whatever, but not the local college) material and he is not going to get there unless he is allowed to proceed ahead. There is a reason physics, chemistry and so on, are not taught till HS, they require some basic algebra knowledge - but he will be doing pre-calc next year, so doesn't that change anything! He is smart enough to challenge himself with science olympiads, but he is not going to acomplish much if he is not allowed to fly!
As to AP classes, if the BYU course is truly self paced, I think Ghost can fly through and then decide if he wants to apply himself further. I am going to e-mail the science teacher, ask her to look at the course and make a call.
I do not like to brag to teachers about him, at least I like to think so, but during the last P/T conference I was so much against the wall that I finally blurted out, that he is being courted by Andover and Exeter. Their jaws dropped (it is a really smalish town, where 90% of college bound goes to local U and the rest to the state flagship), and then they were like :the one in Mass.? Yes. The one in N.H.? Yes. Philips Exeter? YES. Are we talking about that famous Philips Exeter? YYYEEESSS!!
That did not change anything though:-)

Anything that can be done in school (to use the time more wisely) is best (or at least better than having to do it at home). If they allow the physics course and Ghost plows through it, have another lined up for after that. I think it's a reasonable solution for the current problem and to address his needs better.

You are lucky he has a couple good courses (History and Math). I really thought the ultimate school for very bright kids would be a hybrid--some core classes with teacher/student interaction & discussion, some online courses, and maybe running to the university for the first or last period of the day. I know that's happening in other places, but it hasn't hit this town yet. It would be wonderful if your school started doing that and found how effective it could be (schools are often worried about cost and online courses are actually very low cost compared with another teacher's salary/benefits, if they had to provide advanced programming in "real life").

My son's most challenging class is his only non-honors class: French. He loves it and the teacher is widely thought to be the best teacher in the school. Everyone tells me that "next year will be harder"--as though that's a remedy or consolation for this year. I think my DS will ultimately be fine--he's made the choice to stay at the school (even when offered the fancy preps or homeschool), he has friends, he likes golf and French Club and the MESA club. He needs to grow up before going off to college, so it's ok. He'll go to a summer institute and be around smart, driven kids. I cannot kill myself with worry anymore (easier said than done) and have to try to be more supportive rather than disgusted, freaked out, panicked.

Sometimes I feel I'm on a mission: there are these precious resources (the really bright kids) that are potentially vital to our future, business, research, security...and I'm fighting the insidious forces trying to exterminate them (maybe too much action tv?). Secret agent mom...

Ania, don't quit advocating--I admire you and all the people on this board for supporting your precious kiddos.

Love that ^^^ :-)

<Breaking into song>

Secret...A-gent mom!
Secret...A-gent mom!
They've given you a reason
To be advocatin'