A C of despair?!

First year of middle school officially wrapped up on Friday. Hans got his report card in an email. He was very particular about viewing it first and even though I received it, I let him have the pleasure or as it turned out, the displeasure! As he gave me back my phone, he warned me that I wouldn’t be happy.

 

Hans got his first C on a report card; actually there were a bunch of Cs for French. I was expecting that result and I wasn’t unhappy. Hans’ French teacher had requested a meeting with me before March Break where he expressed a concern about Hans’ lack of interest in the language. So, I was aware that the boy was struggling a bit. Both the French teacher and I came up with a plan to help Hans do better. However the pandemic interrupted that from happening. Hans never did get that chance to work with his teacher to do better.

 

I am hoping I am able to help him over the summer holidays in some way so he is prepared sufficiently to deal with a higher level of French in Grade 7.

 

A C is not really a sea of despair that Hans seems to think he has to swim through. It is more like a wake-up call. I let him know that he only has 3 more years of French and then, he can bid au revoir to it!

 

From experience, I can confidently say that most of us do better when a subject is interesting to us. However to get to the subjects we like and can effortlessly float in, we have to wade through what sometimes seem like seas of despair!