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Secondary education

Resistance to learning

5 replies

LindsLou · 13/11/2012 06:14

My 14 year old son has been resistant to learning throughout his education. However he is in year 10 and it is crunch time. He has seen 3 Educational Phycologists over the past 6 years and they can find no specific learning difficult. His IQ is average. We have tried everything to get him engaged in his education. He is a lovely boy, polite and considerate, however the boredom can at times make him a slightly disruptive in class. He is currently seeing a tutor twice a week to try and catch-up. He goes to a very good state school in North London and they are slowly coming to realise there may be a problem getting him through his GCSEs. Whilst we think they are on the case we don't want to leave it to chance and in case ultimately his education is our responsibility. Has anyone had any experience of this. Any ideas what we can do, books we should read, specialist we can consult.

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UnderwaterBasketWeaving · 13/11/2012 06:20

I have classes full of kids like that. Intellectually, it's all there, but not the participation.

Any ideas are gratefully received.

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avivabeaver · 13/11/2012 12:10

i have one suggestion for you.

take him to some open days at the local college. see if he can find something that he wants to do. then find out what the requirement is- it will usually be 5 gcses at c and above.

if he can see a goal, and an end in sight, it might just work.

incidentally, my dd1 bright and not interested, got fairly mediocre GCSEs clicked at A level and is working hard to get her grades (bcd) to do a degree. So there is hope.

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LindsLou · 14/11/2012 07:37

That is a good idea. His tutor suggested something similar too. Problem is he won't play the game. I ask him what he sees himself doing when he leaves school, he has only in the last few months stopped saying a footballer - which he knows he is not good enough to do, even at semi professional level. He's new one is Ski Instructor. He won't even admit to wanting to be a football coach because he knows I'll start telling him which qualifications he needs.

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cory · 14/11/2012 09:45

Got one exactly like it at home, except he's 12. Have tried the route suggested by avivabeaver- gets no response. Like Linds' ds, he has only recently stopped saying footballer, and again he is simply not good enough for that.

If you ask him, he will say he wants to stack shelves at Liddl. I have pointed out that in a university town like this and with a lot of adult workers being laid off, Liddl can take their pick of mature experienced people with excellent references for hard work and commitment: if he doesn't pull his socks up, no teacher will be able to give him a reference along those lines.

He does have some talents if not very academic ones- I reckon he'd be good at drama if he could only condescend to do some work, and he's good with people (would make an excellent pre-school teacher) but- oh, his attitude!

What I am hoping for is that he will find a positive role model. Perhaps an older teen would help your ds, Linds? Somebody he likes and who would talk to him about what he is doing to prepare for the future.

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LindsLou · 14/11/2012 13:56

Sounds like we are living parallel lives. Last night I asked him again what he wanted to do when he left school and he said work down the sewer. My son too is really good with young kids and if only he would admit it good at drama he has a wicked sense of humor. You know we should keep in touch because a couple of his teachers have told me they have never meet anyone quite like him and I started to believe it until his tutor told me she comes across loads of boys like him. I'm working on a theory. Is your boy right or left handed. Or right or left footed?