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Original poster

The thread where we are proud of our average but extremely hard working DCs

62 replies

BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 11:15

How about celebrating the hardworking average/ less able child? The child who has to work ten times harder than a bright child who just remembers what they have been taught/ has to do very little revision to achieve A*s.

DD1 is in the middle of GCSEs at the moment and has been working like a trojan for the past 18 months to pull her grades up. She got Ds and Es in her mocks in November and is now averaging Cs and Bs in her exam practices.

She has problems with concentration and suffers bad headaches and fatigue (a diagnosed medical problem causes this) and has to work so much harder than her younger sister for information to be retained. It's not that her teachers are bad (she is at a fab school who are amazingly encouraging and supportive) it's she doesn't take it in easily.

We have been really supporting her through her revision to the extent that we have learnt and retaught her some of the material, and this really seems to be paying dividends.

She came downstairs on Friday night and presented DH and I with card and a beautiful engraved frame she had ordered from the internet saying how much she appreciated our support.

So proud

OP posts:
Original poster
BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 11:24

No one?

OP posts:
ByTheSea · 20/05/2012 11:27

That is really lovely! You have every reason to be very proud of her!!!

cory · 20/05/2012 11:49

She sounds a star- you must be very proud of her! Grin

rogermooreseyebrow · 20/05/2012 12:28

That is really great. With a hard working and caring attitude like that I'm sure she will go far. She will be just what employers are looking for!

Kez100 · 20/05/2012 12:44

Yes, my DD is in this camp.

A lot has been posted already on the thread I was running on borderline GCSEers, so I won't repeat, but these children will, I firmly believe, find their ability to be organised and work hard a really great attribute for their future.

Coops79 · 20/05/2012 12:52

Hello - can I just say that as a teacher these are the kids that I REALLY enjoy. I've got a few in my tutor group who aren't naturally academic but who have had it drummed into them (by some fab parents) that hard work is worth while for its own sake. These are the ones who are able to get a bad mark but crucially listen to feedback and advice in order to do better the next time.

You are definitely the sort of parent I like to see at parents' evening. :)

sassytheFIRST · 20/05/2012 12:56

Agree with Coops. Teaching the very bright is fun is some ways, to be sure; but I am always infinitely prouder of students who by dint of commitment and sheer hard work get a string of B and C grades than those who breeze through a string of As.

Your dd sounds lovely BTW. You are rightly very proud of her.

Lovetats · 20/05/2012 12:58

Good for her - she sounds fabulous! I hope she gets the grades she deserves with all of her hard work.

Sunnywithachanceofshowers · 20/05/2012 13:02

I don't have children, but I have a lovely nephew who has dyspraxia and dyslexia and is studying for his GCSE's.

He works really hard at his studies (with help from my lovely Sis) and I am hugely proud of him. He's a lovely young man.

Original poster
BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 13:55

[coops79] She is utterly adored by all her teachers. One the other day told her she was the most dedicated pupil she had ever taught Smile She is one of the only pupils still e-mailing the teachers to ask for extra revision classes. On her first day of study leave last week she was back there in school at 8.30 in her uniform for some extra lessons whils all her peers were enjoying a lie in.

Her most recent report was mainly 1s for effort (and at her school they are very hard to come by)

Keeping everything crossed for the Bs she needs to stay at the school where she is.

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myalias · 20/05/2012 14:12

BBKnick's what a lovely daughter you have Smile My ds has SEN and is currently doing his GCSE's . . . he has struggled for the past 5 years and getting him to revise is a battle. He wants to be a landscape gardener and he works so hard helping neighbours and elderly grandparent's with their gardens. I have had some lovely comments about his manners and his hard work ethic. I have worried constantly about his future and I am beginning to let go and think more positively about what he can achieve.
My younger ds has just finished SATS this week and he has worked very hard, all we can do is relax and look forward to his next stage.

Good luck to your daughter.

Maryz · 20/05/2012 14:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

basildonbond · 20/05/2012 14:48

can I post on behalf of my niece? she is in y7 and not an academic highflier but works so hard. She puts enormous amounts of effort into every bit of homework and was extremely conscientious about revising for her Y7 exams - she thoroughly deserves every decent mark she gets. However the sad thing is she'll never get as good marks as ds2 who's in the same school and breezes through academic stuff without ever breaking into a sweat and did zero revision Angry

On the other hand she beats ds hands down when it comes to emotional intelligence - she's very mature, thoughtful and kind and I suspect she's going to find adult life a lot easier even though she probably won't get as good results on paper.

robotcornysilk · 20/05/2012 14:52

great thread
a good work ethic is the most important thing IMO

Coops79 · 20/05/2012 17:34

Brigitbigknickers well if they don't want her, I'll have her! Best of luck to her in her exams. :)

Original poster
BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 17:43

Thanks-she has just completed a Chemistry iGCSE (soooo bloody hard!) past paper and got a B!- Hope she can perform similarly tomorrow morning

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Moominmammacat · 20/05/2012 18:40

Ah, that is so lovely ... one day GCSEs will be forgotten and who she is/what you have made her will be more important.

Original poster
BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 21:16

Moominmamacat- thanks for that comment. X

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BranchingOut · 20/05/2012 21:35

She sounds wonderful.

I do tire of some of the 'G&T' posts on MN!

Original poster
BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 21:53

So true-not everyone is G and T academically! [Grin]

OP posts:
Original poster
BrigitBigKnickers · 20/05/2012 21:54

Some are G anbd T in other ways!

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Maryz · 21/05/2012 08:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

boschy · 21/05/2012 09:11

My DD1 is one of these kids - she really struggles and has to work so hard to just get what comes easily to others. she is also dyslexic, but contrary to popular myth not all dyslexics are Einstein...

we had Y10 parents evening last week, and without exception every teacher commented on her fabulous work ethic and that she is a lovely girl and making progress.

I think she will struggle to get Cs in English and Maths (more so maths) but she so deserves to!

and I too get fed up hearing about how exceptionally bright all MN kids are - they cant all be, surely?!

Mrsrobertduvall · 21/05/2012 10:36

I have a dd15 with severe ocd and anxiety, who was like a rabbit caught in headlights with a GcSE last week. She ran away after school Sad

She works so hard, is a pleasure to teach and will probably get a few C's.
Maybe a B for English and Drama.
Ds is a different kettle of fish...Mr Brainy...which is hard for her.

boschy · 21/05/2012 10:56

your poor dd mrs I hope she's feeling a bit more relaxed now? Mine came home really stressy after her english mock last week, floods of tears, but I think it is sorted now and her teacher has been really brilliant with her.

I really feel for our 'average' kids - the media is full of all the ones that get 15 A* but at the same time says exams are easier than ever - it can only make the ones who struggle feel even worse in my view. and fwiw, looking through the GCSE maths revision, there is no way on god's earth I would get even a D I think!

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