I guess I am just having the holiday blues this year. Just this last year my parents divorced, I moved in with my mom and tried homeschooling. Then I went back to public school even though my homeschooling courses were not complete. Now I am trying to finsih my senior year of highschool and finish a prescalculus class. Right now I am half way done with it, but I am so confused by it I am having a really tough time. Everytime I try working on it I get so stressed out to the point of tears. I just wish it was finished. I need the credit to graduate. What should I do. I live in a very small town where no one could help me, all I have is the computer. Teachers at school will not help because they do not believe in homeschooling. What can I do. Please help.
2006-12-26 10:09:57 · 7 answers · asked by . 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Home Schooling
My first thought would be to try to have your teacher help you. It sounds like you already tried talking to them and getting help and didn't get any though. You probably should have your mom or dad or both speak to the principal then (I think anyway) and have them get involved about this problem. It sounds like you are already under a lot of stress, and the teacher refusing to do her job is not helping you out any.
One strong possibility that has occurred to me is that your teacher, shocking as this sounds, may not be able to give you a lot of help. I don't know the math background of your teacher, but one reason they may not be helping you is that they are not that good at math. I had a few math teachers, unfortunately, in high school that were athletic coaches and were not certified in math and had no experience in math and just didn't have any math ability. If this is the case, you may have to go elsewhere for help if you really want to learn the subject.
What I did (well actually my dad of course) was hire a math tutor. She was a math teacher at some other school, btw, so it didn't cause her any problems, and she actually was a real math certified teacher. If you do wind up looking for a tutor, I would look for one that actually has a degree in Math or Math Education or has certification or some knowledge of math like that.
Most schools and homeschools also have a dual community college program where you can take courses at the local community college, but it sounds like you may not have one nearby, but sometimes a large campus will have a small satellite campus even in a very small town, so you could look into that.
I believe almost any college you attend, you should be able to take Precalculus there as a course. It's not a big deal; believe it!
You'll still be ahead of a third of the other college kids (kids like me when I attended for example!)
If all else fails, I would not take a non-passing grade in this course, esp. if the teacher has refused to teach you and you are under stress. I would have them work it out somehow so it does not affect your transcript in any way. They can definitely do that, as it sounds like it is not your fault. Good luck with everything!
2006-12-26 19:35:41 · answer #1 · answered by Karen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry you are having such a hard time. I homeschool my two in a VERY SMALL community, and we moved here 2.5 years ago, and the locals do NOT accept newcomers, so I know how rough it can be when you feel alone. I do have 2 suggestions. The first is that even though the teachers will not 'help,' maybe they will if you pay them as a tutor. My second suggestion, and I don't know if this is a possibility or not, but maybe you could try a precalc program on tape or DVD. My kids use a math program called "MathUSee." It does have precalc - I just checked. It is at mathusee.com. The way it works it, there is a DVD lesson about once/wk then you work on the concept all week. I have checked into other programs that had taped lessons, and the others are FAR more expensive than this one. I have used other math programs and my kids did not like math and did not feel very good at it, but with MathUSee the teacher explains things so well and you get so much work on the concept that both my kids LIKE math now and feel successful; my daughter says that algebra is her favorite subject. Other hs'ers I know who have switched to this program have had similar experiences. Good luck, and don't give up - you're almost there!
2006-12-26 11:44:00 · answer #2 · answered by Cris O 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are enrolled at school, and taking classes through the school (which is what I'm reading) the teachers have to teach you, whether they agree with homeschooling or not. That's just a crap excuse, and I'd talk to your mom about it. I guess maybe I don't understand what you're talking about...because you say you are in public school, but then you say no one else in town knows calculus. Or are you maybe saying that you are learning precalculus on the side, outside of public school, as part of your homeschooling? Because at that point, who cares? If you just want to know it before college (because you don't *have* to know it before college) don't beat yourself up about it, you are creating a learning block that will be impossible to break.
As far as precalculus goes, what I would suggest is going back to the beginning of the book. It builds upon itself, so if you aren't understanding, there is a vital, no matter how small, point you've missed. By starting at the beginning chapter, reading through each lesson, you should figure out where that step was skipped. Find an online tutor, there are plenty of forums for that, in fact one of my favorite math guys answers personal questions on his website about math, starting at the beginning and going through astronomics or something like that. I think it's www.mathforum.org/dr-math.
Good luck, remember, you can achieve all through dedication and prayer. Take a break from the math, wait until after New Years, and then approach it again.
2006-12-26 12:46:49 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are in high school it is your teachers responsibility to help you no matter if you were homeschooled or not. You are there now. If they continue to refuse to help you , talk to your principal with your mother. In the meantime, look at math help sites online or find a math tutor on line to get through. I know you are having a rough year but failing will make it rougher not better. Keep your eyes on the end and it will work. See your goal , work for it. Demand your teachers teach and both your parents should be in your high school demanding that. Worse case scenario, see if you can take another high school credit online now or in summer school if you do fail.
2006-12-26 13:22:11 · answer #4 · answered by fancyname 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is there not a teacher assigned to oversee your homeschooling? Who marks your tests? There must be someone associated with your homeschooling program who could explain it to you. Sorry, calculus isn't my bag so I can't help you. The only other option might be Cole's notes on calculus.
2006-12-27 06:29:59 · answer #5 · answered by old lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry I don't know exactly what you should do cuz I am NOT good at calculus, but I feel sorry for you! Maybe are there any students that could help you?? There must be someone.... I hope it all works out for you
2006-12-26 11:29:02 · answer #6 · answered by shine_on 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pleeze don't stress
Are you saying you need to pass pre-calculus to get your high school diploma? If that is so, we can talk about that. I consider pre-calculus Algebra 3. I could not pass pre-calc until I had a better understanding on Algebra, its in the functions. write me with some problems if you want
are you college bound? if u r , u will certainly want to finish pre-calc. If you just want the degree, maybe you can talk to the guidance counselor, maybe back down a math class?
2006-12-26 13:37:30 · answer #7 · answered by mike c 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
homework.com this should help or find a tooter to help you.
2006-12-26 12:47:57 · answer #8 · answered by tweed801 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋