Schoolwork

[magus007]

A friend of mine asked me for a reading which frankly has me puzzled. She has just come back from a meet the teacher and discovered that her daughter is not doing at all well. She knew that she was having problems because getting her to do her homework was proving very difficult. The girl is very bright and social and the teachers cannot work out what is going on.

The question was why is she having difficulties in School?

The primary hex was 53. Chien / Development (Gradual Progress) with the fifth line changing.

And the result was 52 Keeping Still.

Normally I would ask a follow up question about what the parents should do... but with the first reading I cant really do that can I?

53.5 seems to indicate that although she is struggling she is nearly there -- but keeping still? The child is a bit young to stop!

 

[willowfox]

The question was why is she having difficulties in School?

The primary hex was 53.5 > 52

It appears that she is feeling alone/isolated from her classmates, it seems that she is having some problems with others in her class, perhaps they are being nasty and vindictive towards her as there is a hint of jealousy going on here. Children can be really horrible towards each other making the victims life a misery but don't worry the problem will clear itself up in the near future so just be patient and wait, nothing last long with children, they will soon be friends again.

 

[rosada]

53.5
The wild goose gradually draws near the summit.
For three years the woman has no child.
In the end nothing can stop her.
Good fortune.

Wilhelm says this means...
"The summit is a high place. In a high place one easily becomes isolated."
As grade levels advance, kids can easily bluff their way for a bit but really not be understanding the work as well as they ought. Maybe she feels lost.
"One is misjudged by the very person on whom one is dependent."
The teacher not understanding her, maybe just sees her as a chatterbox.
Sounds to me as if the child feels she is not getting the work and that rather than discussing it with the teacher, the Mom should go sit in the classroom.
"This is the work of deceitful persons who have wormed their way in."
This could be the other students providing an easy distraction.
"For three years the woman has no child."
Sounds like this situation will not be turned around immediately.
"...in the end nothing can stop her. Good fortune."
Well that's hopeful!

52.
Keeping Still
The superior man does not allow his thoughts to go beyond his situation.

I see this as advising the kid needs to have some help closing off distractions and focusing on her work. Perhaps rules like no outings, no phone calls, no television until the work is done. It could even indicate the possibility of her being held back for a year.

Has your friend actually visited the child's classroom? I have seen how many times teachers and specialists will all meet together in private to exchange theories about the child and no results, but if Mom comes and sits in the classroom for a week the kid settles down and that's all it takes.

It also occurs to me that these hexagrams could indicate the child needs a private tutor to bring her up to speed before she can move ahead. I was a math tutor for many years and saw how often just a few sessions of tutoring could make all the difference. I also saw how often the problems the child was experiencing were due to behaviors reinforced by the parents. That is, in the homes of honor students the children had set times to do their school work and a special study area. The parents of kids who were having trouble frequently changed our appointments and when I was working with the children they would breeze in and out of the room making unnecessary comments and demonstrating that they themselves thought being sociable was more important than study.