As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
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We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Sigh. I had the same sort of behavior from my son, only it was reading not drawing. If he's not fulfilling the potential that you know he's capable of, then it's up to you to find out how to make it uncomfortable enough that he works harder. We's ALL like to be doing what we like rather than the tasks assigned to up or that we know have to get done. So it's a bad habit to get into. I also like what others have said about it disrespecting the teacher. I hadn't thought about that, but it really is. If it were my kid (and it has been) I'd lay down the law, tell him what my expectations are and what the consequences are. Good luck. They don't stay this age forever.
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As a middle school teacher I do see this from both boys and girls. The two main reasons we see kids do this is because they want to draw (or read) instead or it is a control issue. This is something a student can control.
Is your son a perfectionist? I have had students mentally set a score that they can live with and only do the work up to that score. They are afraid that if they go beyond that score they will miss questions and no longer have a 100%. An 80% they can live with but a 98% caused by a missed question they cannot. I have also had kids decide not to take a test because a zero is better than not getting a perfect score.
If he is doing this just so he can draw, take away all paper except that which he needs in class. If he finishes his test before completing it, have the teacher take away his pencils and paper. He can earn these back if he completes the test without rushing through it. I have been known to take paper, pencils, and books away from kids who just want to rush through their work so they can read or draw. When they finish the assignment then I will give the object back.
Talk with your son, ask him why he is doing this. Work with the teachers and set up a system that has consequences and rewards.
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I think you have received a lot of great suggestions...however, I would just like to add a couple of things to the mix, for thought. One, I seem to recall he was having an issue with an art teacher a few weeks ago? I wonder if this is his passive aggressive way of expressing his dissatisfaction with the outcome of that. Such as, well, if I can't draw in art the way I would like, I will just do the bare minimum on my other work so I CAN draw. I like the idea of taking away his art supplies as a consequence if the behavior continues. Perhaps you can build in a positive reward as well...such as, if he gets 100% (or 90, or whatever) on the next 3 tests, he can choose a new art supply, that sort of thing.
I would also like to ask if it might be possible he is depressed or something else is going on at school that is bothering him? I only ask this because in researching ADD lately I have read a bunch of stuff about adolescent depressions. Losing interest in schoolwork or not caring about it can be one sign. I am just throwing it out there as food for thought.
Good luck! I hope things turn around for you. I am finding that moving into this age bracket with my son (he's 11), the "tween and early teen" years seem to be quite a challenge.
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15 total family trips with stays at the Poly, AKL, Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Swan, Dolphin, POFQ, Pop Century, All Star Music, Movies & Sports, and Coronado Springs.
I have been following this thread with some interest, as my brother & I were the kind of kids who always followed rules, behaved, etc.
Now that I'm a parent, I can clearly tell that my children will NOT be at all like me & my brother. They take after their dad. Your son's behavior struck me as something I could see my husband doing when he was in school. So, I asked DH what would motivate him to do what your son is doing and he immediately said, "Two possibilities: I'm bored or I want to show that I can." Not sure if either of these might be the case, but perhaps the work is too easy for your son? If he's getting everything right, maybe he just needs more challenging work.
DH also asked why the teacher isn't doing something to require your son to finish his tests. I think someone else asked that here. Maybe your son's grades on the tests should all be "incomplete" until he finishes them as he should.
In any case, I hope it all works out for you.
Carol
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I just wanted to comment that the school/teacher may be taking a hands off approach because the child in question is in the 8th grade and will be in high school next year. I think schools really try to get kids to be independent learners and achievers as middle school ends.
They may also be thinking, better he do it now than next year.
Joanne and her husband know this boy best and I think as parents they can talk to him and explain their point of view. They can also consequence him his they feel it will be effective. One thing they don't want to do is get in a major power struggle with him. One of the few things kids have a great deal of control over are school work and grades.
This kid is smart and knows exactly what he is doing so Joanne is walking a fine line. He probably has thought of other options (they can make him sit but can't make him answer the questions).
I think talking and discussing may go further than any consequences, especially if they make him stand out in the group.
We've been exchanging emails with his teacher and we've set up a meeting for the end of next week.
Here's Maclane's response when asked about this. You only need to have a B- average to stay in the class, so he didn't see why he had to do any more than would warrant a B-. He doesn't like word problems so he doesn't do them if he doesn't have to in order to get the B-.
I don't understand this line of thinking, but he was actually surprised that the teacher thought this was a problem. We told him he did not get to choose what he learned. He had to learn to do the word problems and he had to try to answer EVERY question on every test. Not a choice. If we don't see improvement in a week and a half, he loses computer privileges. If it continues, he loses his keyboard. After that, he's out of band and chorus. If we see improvement in two weeks he gets to choose a restaurant and we'll go out and celebrate. I thought after that, we'd discuss the continuance of good behaviour and it's consequences. I'd love to be able to tell him that if he keeps it up all year, I'll spring for the summer session at Berklee College of Music that he wants to attend, but I'm not ready to promise that right now.
Who knew that you had to tell a kid that finishing a test was not an option?
We've been exchanging emails with his teacher and we've set up a meeting for the end of next week.
Here's Maclane's response when asked about this. You only need to have a B- average to stay in the class, so he didn't see why he had to do any more than would warrant a B-. He doesn't like word problems so he doesn't do them if he doesn't have to in order to get the B-.
I don't understand this line of thinking, but he was actually surprised that the teacher thought this was a problem. We told him he did not get to choose what he learned. He had to learn to do the word problems and he had to try to answer EVERY question on every test. Not a choice. If we don't see improvement in a week and a half, he loses computer privileges. If it continues, he loses his keyboard. After that, he's out of band and chorus. If we see improvement in two weeks he gets to choose a restaurant and we'll go out and celebrate. I thought after that, we'd discuss the continuance of good behaviour and it's consequences. I'd love to be able to tell him that if he keeps it up all year, I'll spring for the summer session at Berklee College of Music that he wants to attend, but I'm not ready to promise that right now.
Who knew that you had to tell a kid that finishing a test was not an option?
Welcome to the world of 8th grade! I will hand tests back to some kids and tell them they have to finish and they look at you like you have two heads. They just don't get that they need to finish their work. When I give a playing test a kid will play maybe two measures and then stop and ask if they have to play the rest of the test. I tell them only if they breathe. It's not defiance, it's not thinking things through. We call it middle school syndrome.
Is your son a perfectionist? I have had students mentally set a score that they can live with and only do the work up to that score. They are afraid that if they go beyond that score they will miss questions and no longer have a 100%. An 80% they can live with but a 98% caused by a missed question they cannot. I have also had kids decide not to take a test because a zero is better than not getting a perfect score.
Talk with your son, ask him why he is doing this. Work with the teachers and set up a system that has consequences and rewards.
Good luck!
I was that student from middle school onto high school... I wish my parents had realised it wasn't just "a phase" or a "teacher's fault". I *love* how parents blame the system and rarely their students these days. (not saying the OP is doing this by any means, far from it!) It drives me up the wall when I read how terrible the teacher is and that any fault the student has is because of something a teacher did.
My DN went to Berklee. One needs more talent than great grades to get in but what he was able to do because of great grades is get lots of AP credits. When he got to Berklee he was able to by-pass all the boring requirements and take the music classes he loved. Will your son be motivated by putting in a little more effort now to get a lot more fun later.
We've been exchanging emails with his teacher and we've set up a meeting for the end of next week.
Here's Maclane's response when asked about this. You only need to have a B- average to stay in the class, so he didn't see why he had to do any more than would warrant a B-. He doesn't like word problems so he doesn't do them if he doesn't have to in order to get the B-.
I don't understand this line of thinking, but he was actually surprised that the teacher thought this was a problem. We told him he did not get to choose what he learned. He had to learn to do the word problems and he had to try to answer EVERY question on every test. Not a choice. If we don't see improvement in a week and a half, he loses computer privileges. If it continues, he loses his keyboard. After that, he's out of band and chorus. If we see improvement in two weeks he gets to choose a restaurant and we'll go out and celebrate. I thought after that, we'd discuss the continuance of good behaviour and it's consequences. I'd love to be able to tell him that if he keeps it up all year, I'll spring for the summer session at Berklee College of Music that he wants to attend, but I'm not ready to promise that right now.
Who knew that you had to tell a kid that finishing a test was not an option?
Who knows what runs throught the mind of a preteen boy (or girl for that matter). I think your plan sounds great. I'm with you and would hold off telling him about the summer session until you see lasting improvement.
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Your son's behavior struck me as something I could see my husband doing when he was in school. So, I asked DH what would motivate him to do what your son is doing and he immediately said, "Two possibilities: I'm bored or I want to show that I can." Not sure if either of these might be the case, but perhaps the work is too easy for your son? If he's getting everything right, maybe he just needs more challenging work.
I will hand tests back to some kids and tell them they have to finish and they look at you like you have two heads. They just don't get that they need to finish their work. When I give a playing test a kid will play maybe two measures and then stop and ask if they have to play the rest of the test. I tell them only if they breathe. It's not defiance, it's not thinking things through. We call it middle school syndrome. 
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