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Writer's pictureRachel Zirkin Duda

Teaching done right

After Seth failed Latin, I was left with a conundrum. He still needed to finish high school, but by this point, Seth didn't want to give the public education system any more of his time or effort. He was set on taking the GED exam. The problem was, when he took a practice test several months earlier, his score was pretty low, which meant he would need to do a lot of studying in order to pass. I was more than a little concerned that if he took that route, he wouldn't see the process through.


I was relieved when Seth’s school offered to enroll him in a summer course (Spanish 1), which was being offered online for two hours in the late afternoon, four days a week – for one month. At first, Seth balked. I told him I understood how he felt about school, but I also felt the need to remind him that his brain wouldn't be 100% mature until he was at least 25 (a fact I originally explained to him when he was nine). I suggested he think things through carefully and not act impulsively. I added, “Besides, taking this class would be the easiest way to get your diploma. Why put in extra work when you don't need to?” That logic made sense to Seth, so he agreed to go through with Spanish 1.


I was very nervous on his first day, because I didn’t know if he would get along with his teacher; I didn’t want a repeat of the issues he had in Latin class. Fortunately, as it turns out, Seth’s teacher appreciates his intellect (as seen in the email exchange pictured here), and he is carrying a 98% in her class. See what a difference the right teacher-student relationship can make? Seth will receive his high school diploma in August 2024. Thank goodness!




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