Buddy's last day of school was last Tuesday and we've been enjoying our summer break, although I haven't had even one morning to remotely sleep in. We received his 6th grade report card the other day. He finished with a lackluster GPA of 3.750. It would have been much higher if he had made more of an effort in Spanish class. He said she gave out too much work to be finished in the time frame allotted.
Riddle me this? Yours truly speaks Spanish fairly fluently. I offered to give him tips or to better explain things, but he never brought any of it home. I said, "I won't DO it for you, but I will guide you along and give detailed explanations." It's even more maddening because his elementary school had Spanish classes for ALL grades. Sure, it was just beginner stuff, but it was something. And, I know he watched enough Dora as a tot to have learned some of the language!
Yet, this is the child who, at 2.5 taught himself basic sign language and to this day studies Japanese. Helloooo? Which is easier: Spanish or Japanese? Imma go with Spanish.
What can I say? This is the same kid who wanted to learn to play chess at 4. The Evil Twin and I are clueless, so we found someone who offered lessons. For a 4 year old.
Even though math is the subject he dislikes the most, he still does really well. He also does well with reading and spelling, but I guess the foreign language gene missed him. Or, maybe he's just weird in a different way than the Evil Twin and I.
I'll go with that one - he's just weird in a different way.
Bad: I am wearing an itty bitty sundress at not yet 10A and already sweating with the AC on. I don't mind the heat, but it's about 400% humidity too.
Good: We get to see my aunt and cousin and other Aunt and Uncle this weekend at Tamarack.
Bad: I think I've already killed my strawberry plants.
Good: If you give a kitten a ring from a gallon of milk and a cardboard box (the ones you can buy with a case of waters in), they will be entertained for long time.
OK - this is my random Wednesday post.
Happy Wednesday, hooligans!
I think the milk ring is genetic. I have yet to see a cat who didn't like them.
ReplyDeleteI had one, who loved to play fetch like a dog with it. I'd toss it; she'd retrieve it, and drop it at my feet.
Cheers ETW!!
I'm actually with Buddy on this one. He's identifited on reason, but I'm guessing it's a teaching style conflict.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you a little story if I may - In high school I basically failed Spanish class (and I didn't come even close to failing ANY classes in high school!) My parents figured that I was just not able to learn another language. (Because I TRIED so hard in that class) So they put me in ASL class for the next 3 years and I became fluent in that.
The summer after I basically failed Spanish class, I met some friends while life-guarding who's mom didn't like me at first. She would talk about me in Spanish and they'd translate so I learned a little that way.
The next summer I learned some more and didn't need so much translated - and some of the vocabulary from class came back to me! The next summer I could answer her...and the next summer we could chat.
I'm not good at it, but I'm capable and can understand/make myself understood...
(wow this is long, sorry! I'll wrap it up)
It wasn't that I couldn't learn, it was the teacher. My mom is huge on personal accountability and won't let us off the hook for anything, but she agrees that it was the teacher and her style...not that I couldn't.
Just something to think about. :)
We are finally getting the same type of weather up here in canada...
ReplyDeleteI guess the good side of your son's issues is that he still really young and it's not like he's in high school..
kenny
How about a pic of you in the itty bitty sun dress?!?!?! Oh, wait.....it isn't Friday yet. Bummer. ;-))
ReplyDelete3.75 is still a GPA to be proud of! I always really enjoyed language. But it's a lot more fun to use it in the real world than it is to use in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteIt cooled down quite a bit here yesterday and is rainy today. I hope it clears up for the weekend!
my puppy's fav toy is a clear plastic lid to something... he cant bit it.. he can only swat it across the wood floors.. its hilarious.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless
<3
otm
I took 3 years of Spanish in High School. I can understand little bits and pieces of coversations now, but not much.
ReplyDeleteBiggest problem...we were taugh regional Spain spanish. I live in Texas...spanish here is a whole different language.
Awww I love strawberries...
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the class didn't challenge him enough, since you said it was all beginer stuff and he pretty much knows all the beginer stuff anyway. (I have found that to be the case with my oldest.)
ReplyDeleteHumidity...SUCKS ARSE! It's bad here too. I don't know why I even bother fixing my hair cause the second I step outside..BAM..the Rosana Dana Dana comes out!
I tried the topsy turvy strawberry planter and I think I've killed them. The ones in a normal planter are fine but the upside down, dead. Oy.
ReplyDelete3.75 lackluster? Whoo-eee! We'd celebrate that at our house. Y'all are tough, ain'tcha?
ReplyDeleteIf I learned one phrase in spanish class it was 'no hablo espanol'.
ReplyDeleteAs you know I’ve lived in Spain for 2 years and my Spanish isn’t that great. To be fair though, it was better before me moved here. In the shadows of the Sierra Nevada’s they speak a very guttural dialect and regional slang that hardly resembles real Spanish. It would be like trying to learn English in a rural, drunken town in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteMy cat loves boxes more than toys!
The humidity is redonkulous.
ReplyDeleteI need a video of Bella and the milk ring.
And Buddy is a genius, and you are right in the weird in a different way! :)
3.75 is great! I hope you didn't make him feel bad about it!
ReplyDeleteMatt-Man - That milk ring is free entertainment! :-)
ReplyDeleteElla - you could be right, but I repeatedly begged him to let me teach him the tricks - he says he'll try harder next year. :-)
Kennyo - I know he's smart, he just needs to apply himself. :-)
Jerry - Since I'm a stay at home mom, I wear the same clothes for DAYS...I could do the itty bitty sundress pic for Friday. ;-)
Vinomom - I know...I have a weird sense of humor that often doesn't come across in writing. (we're happy with the 3.75).
OTM - our kitty likes the clear lids, too. So cute!
Cara - Yes, Castillian IS much different than other areas.
Doc - Me too!
Chandra - I hope I can work with him this summer on more complex ideas.
Paige - No!! I just need to get mine out of the planter, I think. That's on the agenda this weekend.
Tiff - we are tough, but I said that more tongue in cheek. ;-)
Mike - That's a good one to know. Also, "Donde esta el bano?" (where is the bathroom?)
Scott - I agree, the different regions can vary wildly.
Dish - I'll try to get a video for you. It's adorable and yes, we know Buddy is the next Bill Gates (or someone really nerdy and smart LOL).
Anonymous - Of course not! He knows we are extremely proud of him. :-)
In my experience it's all the free stuff and trash like milk rings and bendy straws and plastic bags that cats love and the expensive toys that they can't be bothered with! lol
ReplyDeleteGood Post....Laughing at the lack of Spanish ambition.....I have two kids that are in the exact same boat!
ReplyDeleteIt has been SO humid this past week. Well, the news says this weekend is going to be the hottest we've had in two years, so you may want to get your Mart of Wal errands done before that hits!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, ALL cats love that milk lid ring. It's so weird. :)