Pain Free College and Career Readiness with Mr. D

  I was compensated for my time and provided with a copy of this curriculum for review purposes, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Does your teen live in there own world away from reality? Maybe they don't have a good grasp on time management? Maybe they are overwhelmed when they think about the future? I know mine tends to fit all these descriptions. Not only is she super comfortable in her own world rather than the real one, but she would prefer not to listen to her parents thoughts and advice on the subject. Needless to say, this can be a bit alarming for a parent especially one trying to get their teen to make a plan for high school!

I am sure parents of kids in school deal with the same thing, but luckily they have guidance counselors to help some.

But no matter how you choose to school your children, you know there are some skills that are not taught in core school hours. You know that getting through calculus or having a great ACT score doesn't guarantee success in college or life. 

As homeschool parents, we also know that college isn't the destination for all kids, but we recognize that there are skills that are needed for college or for a career, really life skills. I don't mean things like cooking or laundry. Those are indeed life skills, but they are not the skills needed in managing a career. 

I mean things like: 

• Executive functioning skills like time management and breaking goals into manageable pieces
• Financial literacy including the stock market, writing checks, and managing a bank account
• Career assessment and resume writing

Mr. D Math College and Career Readiness teaches all of this and more! 

What is Mr. D Math?

Mr. D Math is an awesome online learning resource that offers a variety of classes including math, ASL, test prep, economics, and more. Many of these are available as live classes and some are also available as self-paced. We are specifically looking at the College and Career Readiness class though. 

Mr. D Math College and Career Readiness is one that is available as a live class for kids who prefer the interaction as well as a self-paced class for those who can't fit the live class into their schedule. The self-paced works really well if you are needing to schedule around other online or in person classes.

Another big reason to use Mr. D Math is the fact that someone else is doing the grading! This is huge for busy homeschool moms!

Why College and Career Readiness Online?

Specifically, why Mr. D Math College and Career Readiness? Well, the first slide of the first lecture tells us exactly what Mr. D's goal is for this class, "Creating Leaders Who are Committed to Making a Difference!" Isn't that fabulous! 

Mr. D really wants to grow these kids into leaders, and he relates with them so well which is of course a huge benefit when dealing with teens. 

We have all been teenagers before, and I think most of us know that in general teens are not super interested to hear what parents have to say. I actually have found having a separate course taught by someone other than me has brought more results than anything I have tried. 

Most teens like to dream about the future rather than think about it in practical terms. And while you as a parent may suggest steps they take to make their dreams more possible, they are likely to shrug off your advice and keep on dreaming. The assignments given in the Mr. D Math College and Career Readiness class force them back to earth a bit. They have to do some honest self reflection to sit down and create goals and admit where they procrastinate.

For us this struggle and self reflection has resulted in more communication about what our teen really needs to be focusing on.

Has Mr. D Math College Prep Worked for Us

So far, our teen has been more apt to listen when she struggles with the homework because she hasn't given the future much if any thought. And though she thinks eighth grade is still too young to need this course (which I completely disagree and think it is great to get started at this age), she does think it is good for high schoolers and doesn't complain about doing the lessons. 

If you have a daydreamer for a teenager who really doesn't want to think or plan for the future, the Mr. D Math College and Career Prep Class is a simple way to get them moving in the right direction. 

Be sure to check out all the other courses offered through Mr. D Math as well!

Mr. D (AKA Dennis DiNoia) doesn't just want to help kids through his online classes either. He wants to help parents grow self-directed learners! And isn't that what we all want as homeschool parents? Check out his podcast A+ Parents for tips and tricks to help your students become more self-directed!