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CBreeze did say she'd been tutoring her this summer, and sounds confident she can handled the class. But I'd also like to know what was behind her stumble. An emotional event, maybe? Break-up with a boyfriend?
I wouldn't push her ahead. There is a huge 'maturity' component to being successful in math. She may be very advanced in other subjects, but 'tanking' in math shows that she wasn't ready. Remember, you can always push her ahead later, but it is almost impossible to recover if she fails in the advanced class. Listen to her teacher. Good luck. She'll be fine.
My sentiments exactly (with 20/20 hindsight, but I was more relaxed with the second about such stuff, and even with the first by the end of high school.)
Our oldest daughter was invited to join a magnet Science program in a high school--the first one offered and very high level work. The next year and a half were horrid for her and us. She was and is an excellent student and person, and was not ready for that work at that time in her education. She more than had the capacity to do the work, but she was not ready. After much discussion and soul searching with her, we pulled her from the magnet program, and her grades went back to straight "A's." We made sure she understood we didn't think she was a failure--quite the contrary.
She now is nearly finished with a Master's Degree in Biology, doing her field work, is happily married, and when we have breakfast together every Saturday morning, she explains what she's doing and I smile and nod, understanding about every other word. She's doing something with a GPS I believe. She was hand picked for several projects by her professors, recommended by her professors for an excellent job over all the other students. Her future is very bright.
It's a hard decision. Opportunities come in ways other than what we expect sometimes.
I hear what most people are saying here about easing up and all, but when it comes to my own princess the ears tend to clog a bit. I am open to what people think though, I know it looks a lot different from the outside.
Actually, she tanked because of issues with her father. She was promised a trip home (Cali) to spend her first Christmas with him since she was 3, with him and his new wife, new daughter, and stepson (who, to her dismay, calls him Dad). At the last minute, he tells her they can't afford it. She was crushed, and he topped it off with letting guilt or whatever stop him from contacting her at all afterwards. She got no gift or anything. The stepson got an X-box and 4 games.
She went back to school after the break and did nothing in any class. Her other teachers and I talked, and the math teacher was invited, but said she was doing fine in his class and declined to meet with us. Her other teachers emphatically told me that she was very capable of doing well at the gifted and advanced level, and clearly she was down and distracted. There was a lot of knowing nodding when I explained the winter break scenario.
In the Spring I took her and her friends to Cali myself, and she spent 3 days with him and the rest of the week bouncing around like a tourist with me and the other kids. She came back to school and was back to her old self, but with a lot of ground to make up. She made it all up as quickly as she could, especially considering the sudden lack of homework and classwork as they started prepping for standardized testing and winding down for the end of the year.
Also, I wasn't bragging about her being a B student (although I'm proud of her), I was just adding it since she can do that with little effort and she obviously wasn't putting in any effort between winter and spring breaks.
As for what she wants, she took it upon herself to write her old teacher an email. I did a controversial thing and read it behind her back (along with any other mail from friends and a lot of spam deleting I always do). It didn't explain anything, just said she wanted back in advanced math and she was sorry she stopped working for a while and would he please let her take the class in 8th grade. No response yet.
If it helps with the advice-giving, she's a year younger than most in her grade for this state because she started in Cali. She'll still be 12 in 8th grade. Maybe a maturity thing? Will that matter in math?
I wouldn't push her ahead. There is a huge 'maturity' component to being successful in math. She may be very advanced in other subjects, but 'tanking' in math shows that she wasn't ready. Remember, you can always push her ahead later, but it is almost impossible to recover if she fails in the advanced class. Listen to her teacher. Good luck. She'll be fine.
This is a really good point that I totally glossed over the first time I read through the posts (as you can see from my first post this morning). You guys are right, I need to stop stressing.
My sentiments exactly (with 20/20 hindsight, but I was more relaxed with the second about such stuff, and even with the first by the end of high school.)
Well Katiana I figure if the kids are smart and hard working they'll do fine in life. Of course ambition and cunning help too. Too many parents get goofy over this grade and placement business. When he gets out in the workplace things will shake out, for good or bad. What one's boss cares about is how much money you make him not whether you were in advanced math in 8th Grade.
I don't hold with segregating real smart kids in school anyway, I think everybody should be all mixed up. Just like in the adult workplace where skill in dealing with and helping the less talented is valuable tool. I think much of this advanced business is more about parent's egos and teacher's turf than practical education.
The GPA average doesnt actually start till 9th grade correct? IMHO it would be better to take a year off from the AP class, and possibly then take AP classes when they count (9-12) and then worry about the GPA average. Getting an A in Algebra I in 8th grade wont count towards the overall GPA as it would is she took it in 9th. She will still have the 11th and 12th grades to work on the AP classes and really polish off the GPA after getting thru all the basics.
I hear what most people are saying here about easing up and all, but when it comes to my own princess the ears tend to clog a bit. I am open to what people think though, I know it looks a lot different from the outside.
Actually, she tanked because of issues with her father. She was promised a trip home (Cali) to spend her first Christmas with him since she was 3, with him and his new wife, new daughter, and stepson (who, to her dismay, calls him Dad). At the last minute, he tells her they can't afford it. She was crushed, and he topped it off with letting guilt or whatever stop him from contacting her at all afterwards. She got no gift or anything. The stepson got an X-box and 4 games.
She went back to school after the break and did nothing in any class. Her other teachers and I talked, and the math teacher was invited, but said she was doing fine in his class and declined to meet with us. Her other teachers emphatically told me that she was very capable of doing well at the gifted and advanced level, and clearly she was down and distracted. There was a lot of knowing nodding when I explained the winter break scenario.
In the Spring I took her and her friends to Cali myself, and she spent 3 days with him and the rest of the week bouncing around like a tourist with me and the other kids. She came back to school and was back to her old self, but with a lot of ground to make up. She made it all up as quickly as she could, especially considering the sudden lack of homework and classwork as they started prepping for standardized testing and winding down for the end of the year.
Also, I wasn't bragging about her being a B student (although I'm proud of her), I was just adding it since she can do that with little effort and she obviously wasn't putting in any effort between winter and spring breaks.
As for what she wants, she took it upon herself to write her old teacher an email. I did a controversial thing and read it behind her back (along with any other mail from friends and a lot of spam deleting I always do). It didn't explain anything, just said she wanted back in advanced math and she was sorry she stopped working for a while and would he please let her take the class in 8th grade. No response yet.
If it helps with the advice-giving, she's a year younger than most in her grade for this state because she started in Cali. She'll still be 12 in 8th grade. Maybe a maturity thing? Will that matter in math?
I was 12 in 8th grade. I really don't think that has anything to do with it.
You nailed the issue here: She had a family problem and it distracted her from her school work. That being said, I would see no problem with putting her in honors math again; however, if there is a similar problem in the future, she needs to see a counselor to make sure that she can cope with the issues, rather than let them impact her grades.
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She was hand picked for several projects by her professors, recommended by her professors for an excellent job over all the other students. Her future is very bright.
