A note to parents

In my experience as a teacher, I have noticed that parents of struggling students typically fall into one of two categories. They either grossly overestimate their child's abilities or they tragically underestimate them. Each of these has detrimental consequences for the student.

The Overestimating Parent
This is the parent who goes ballistic the first time their child brings home a C or D (and it's usually in algebra 1 or geometry). "What happened?!" they ask incredulously, first of the student, then of the teacher. Well, let's say this particular student averaged 85%, a solid B, all the way through pre-algebra. That's a grade that most parents would be satisfied with. Is it sufficient? As a teacher, I look at that as the student understanding 85% of the critical material covered in the class. Would you build your house on a foundation that was only 85% complete? Probably not, right? Then why are we expecting our kids to succeed when they only have 85% of the basic skills down?

The Underestimating Parent
As a teacher, I've heard parents tell me, "My child isn't going to major in math. I just want him/her to pass this class." It was so frustrating to hear that. It's like cutting off the child's legs before they even have a chance to learn to walk. How do you expect your child to succeed if you keep telling them they're a failure? I don't think many parents realize how critical self-confidence is in math. Students who excel, often do so because they are confident. Those that do poorly, are caught in a dangerous, downward spiral, circling between failure and self-defeat.

If you are either of these kinds of parent, take a step back and reassess your situation. If you truly understand your child's strengths and weaknesses, you'll be better equipped to anticipate and deal with potential roadblocks. Your child's success is heavily dependent on your perception.