Bump in the Road

     We had a really bad day yesterday.  Zack didn't do well on his science test.  He cried and cried because he thought I would be disappointed.  In the early days of homeschooling, I was so tense and unsure of myself as a teacher, I often showed my stress to Zack.  I would get a crease in my forehead, and sometimes would leave the room in tears.  I was so frustrated because Zack's day-to-day work was so good, but when it came to taking tests, he would fail, or come close to it.  Zack interpreted that stress as disappointment in him.  I've learned to relax more now, because I have seen that he is learning, regardless of test scores.  And, I've learned to use multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, or matching tests. He usually gets B's.  
       Yesterday's science test was on soil formation.  Personally, I don't think he needs to know the difference between laterite soil and pedalfer soil in 9th grade, but alas, that's the material he had to be tested on.  Even though it was multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank, he barely got a "D" on the test.  Yes, I'm more relaxed about the results of his tests, but this was pretty bad.  I couldn't let this one go.  He was so upset.  I gave him an extra credit assignment and today, he restudied the material about soil and took an on-line quiz.  This time he got an "A!"  I may just throw out the "D" score all together.  (Yet another advantage to homeschooling!)
     After the fiasco with the science test, we worked on cartooning.  Cartooning is one of his electives, which is supposed to be fun.  However, the assignment in the book was a little complicated for him.  It provided three scenarios, of which he needed to choose one, and then have two characters interact with dialogue and body language.  The task Zack chose, was a newspaper reporter wanting to conduct an interview with a homeless person.  The reporter was supposed to be holding a sandwich, which the homeless person desired.  The instructions in the exercise stated that Zack should create a short cartoon conveying to the audience what the reporter wanted and what the homeless person wanted without coming right out and saying it.  This ended up being an extremely difficult task for Zack because he had to use non-verbal language and dialogue, two areas of weakness for him.  I had to break down the elements and have him draw one panel at a time, then add in the dialogue.  It was really tough to explain that the dialogue had to hint at what each other wanted.  It was late in the afternoon, and I was out of patience.  Zack was tired and couldn't think straight.  Again, he started crying.  He got the cartoon done, but neither one of us felt good about it. 
     Sometimes I feel I am totally killing his self-esteem.  But, he told me he feels better today.  He is very proud of the "A" that he got on his science quiz, and as for cartooning, it is his stress relief and his outlet for self-expression.  That will never change, no matter how many confusing assignments I give him!