Troubled student

[PaleSelene]

Hi! I would appreciate your help with this reading.
One of my students is giving me hard time. One day he's really participative, attentive and next day he's totally lost, he doesn't remember anything from the day before, and he does everything wrong. The mother is a big problem too.
So, I asked The I Ching what to do with my student and I got 37.4 changing to 13
Could you help me please?
Thank you very much!
Selene

 

[lloyd]

A very clear answer, it seems to me. If The Family is your classroom, then you do appear to have the inherent qualities (line 4) to bring the straying student within its fold. 13 emphasizes this aspect and suggests that you confront the student with clear distinctions.

 

[meng]

I think Lloyd's spot on.

Funny, just responded to the same answer in a different contextual background. http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/friends/showthread.php?t=9087

This kid may be a legitimate ADD case, and if your assessment of his mother is correct, you may be the one in his life to guide him. As an ADD kid myself, it's extremely difficult to focus and grasp certain things, but also other things came very easily. If you can find a way to make the subject somehow relative or pertinent to him, something he can visualize and be proactive with, then he may wake up and excel.

 

[PaleSelene]

Lloyd and Meng, Thanks a million for your help.
You both made it clear. I see that there is something that I can do for him. Little because unfornately I am only his ESL teacher for one hour everyday, so It is not time enough to help that much, however I will give my best to him.
Meng, about: "If you can find a way to make the subject somehow relative or pertinent to him, something he can visualize and be proactive with, then he may wake up and excel." do you mean to face him with his problem in sort of a way?
It worries me not being of great help for the kid because of my lack of knowledge in Psichology for being just a language teacher. Nonetheless I would love to help him.
Right now I am reading about ADD wich maybe I am pretty much of that too
Thanks again!

 

[meng]

Meng, about: "If you can find a way to make the subject somehow relative or pertinent to him, something he can visualize and be proactive with, then he may wake up and excel." do you mean to face him with his problem in sort of a way?

No, that would likely make him even more self conscious and inferior. No, I mean connecting the subject to something he can identify with. He may see no use for the second language, and automatically reject it. But if he finds something creative or constructive to do with that language, something which involves him, that can dramatically change his comprehension. For example, if he can see himself doing something with the language in his future, something he relates to and gets excited about.

And please, never underestimate what one hour a weekday can do to impact a young person's life. My hero was Mr. Capiello, who believed in me enough to tutor me to all way to All- State band and orchestra when I was just in 7nth grade, and still couldn't read a note. It's the only thing in school I've ever done well at, and he was the one who saw my potential. He gave me a lot in that one or so hour a day. He was very strict, and by today's terms, politically incorrect. Hitting a student with a fiberglass conductor's baton and yelling in Italian isn't exactly modern approved methodology - Nor is it what I'm suggesting you do! lol.. but his discipline combined with strong belief in me - which came from this deep pool of love he had - made me excel beyond myself.

 

[meng]

I just read this, a Hawaiian friend's blog.

http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/TPDO...AM0myzvAqPS5gHUW89LFOmyIjDf17xFvO0wZFM.OXak2g

 

[lloyd]

Just a footnote. I was thinking along the line of making the child see that school can be a home away from home, in which to be itself. The question didn't strike me as being about a personal 1to1 relationship but about how to fit in a student.

 

[neegula]

sorry, but i'm missing many things in this topic, maybe just 'cause i don't understand language.

are you teaching to a class? or is the kid the only pupil?
are you teaching english to him?
can you use a gym place for your lessons - putting together something he has to learn with a "creative" phisical work?

i'm teaching too, maybe we can help each other

 

[PaleSelene]

No, that would likely make him even more self conscious and inferior.

Yes I absolutely agree with you! It's just that I thought as when confronting somebody with his/her fears. But I see now what you mean.

And please, never underestimate what one hour a weekday can do to impact a young person's life. My hero was Mr. Capiello, who believed in me enough to tutor me to all way to All- State band and orchestra when I was just in 7nth grade, and still couldn't read a note. It's the only thing in school I've ever done well at, and he was the one who saw my potential. He gave me a lot in that one or so hour a day. He was very strict, and by today's terms, politically incorrect. Hitting a student with a fiberglass conductor's baton and yelling in Italian isn't exactly modern approved methodology - Nor is it what I'm suggesting you do! lol.. but his discipline combined with strong belief in me - which came from this deep pool of love he had - made me excel beyond myself.

Yes I know what you mean here too. I wish I had somebody like Mr Capiello. What I did not miss definetely was the hitting. My teachers used to hit me with a ruler made of wood specially for that purpose. Sometimes when that was not enough they threw me with the eraser, directly to my head ... yet I was a good girl

What I am doing right now is to encourage him by telling him that he is very smart and that I believe in him and his capability, in front of the class. Today he was full of satisfaction.

 

[PaleSelene]

sorry, but i'm missing many things in this topic, maybe just 'cause i don't understand language.

are you teaching to a class? or is the kid the only pupil?
are you teaching english to him?
can you use a gym place for your lessons - putting together something he has to learn with a "creative" phisical work?

i'm teaching too, maybe we can help each other

Thanks Neegula. I am the ESL teacher of a group of 18 kids on 5th grade, but 99% of the class are true beginners as this is kind of a pilot program to see how it works because it's a public school. The company I work with gets paid directly by the parents. As I am allowed to teach only in the classroom, what I do is to ask the kids to make a semi-circle around me, so that i can observe them closer and it serves as an ice breaker. Also, around 10-15 minutes before the hour class ends I play with them (upon the complaints of the parents which I personally DO NOT understand because the kids learn languages better when playing, but they are concerned.
Thanks so much for your post and YES! we can help each other

 

[PaleSelene]

Just a footnote. I was thinking along the line of making the child see that school can be a home away from home, in which to be itself. The question didn't strike me as being about a personal 1to1 relationship but about how to fit in a student.

Yes, as in a family-like environment, right? I found also an interesting article in http://www.psychologymatters.org/teachingfamily.html
But I have not an opinion about it yet.

 

[meng]

What I am doing right now is to encourage him by telling him that he is very smart and that I believe in him and his capability, in front of the class. Today he was full of satisfaction.

:bows: