Thursday, 04 September 2008
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Handling Doubts About My Child's Teacher
As some of you may recall, I told Junior's teacher that she could and should send home any work that he won't do in the class. Well, she sent home his history assignment today and OH MY WORD! I now understand completely why he hasn't been doing his work. Junior has splinter skills which means that he does better in some areas of his life than others. All of his skills are severely delayed but some more than others. For example, he can use a computer fairly well to surf the internet, print up copies of his favorite movie posters, communicate with us via Word, and order tickets to The Lion King on Broadway. He can also operate a DVD player, and even order On Demand from a cable box. He can read both sight words and he sounds out words he doesn't know. His actual reading level is at around a 3rd grade level and but we don't feel his comprehension is nearly as high...we estimate it somewhere around a 1st grade level. His math is also far below age appropriateness but he can use a simple calculator to add and subtract 4 digit numbers. The actual intelligence level of a person with Kanner's Autism can be very difficult to pinpoint. They may know and understand far above their age level and simply be unable to convey their knowledge. They can also be mentally retarded or have average intelligence. Junior's functional age, splinter skills taken into account, is somewhere around 1st grade. That is is functional age. His IQ is estimated to be somewhere around 80...in the low but still average range.
If Junior's history work is any indication of the rest of his assignments, then she is giving him work at a 7th grade reading level modified to include multiple choice questions, supposedly to bring the questions down to a 3rd grade level. So his reading assignments are at least 4 years over his level and his questions are at least 2 years (likely 3 or 4) over his level. It is no wonder he isn't doing the work! He doesn't know how!
The thing that frustrates me is that he has an IEP. That IEP says his work should be at the level he is functioning at. It even gives exact examples of the type of work is supposed to be doing. This IEP is for all practical purposes a legally binding document. She is violating his IEP!
Now since I operate on the principle that he can learn, I sat him down this evening and had him read the work. I would guide him towards a few answers and I gave him a chance to learn how to find the answers. One night clearly isn't going to do the job and he isn't going to miraculously develop 4 years of skills in an hour. I have faith that he can learn the material given time, but not over night. However, I did learned something very valuable.
My son's current teacher is not qualified to teach him if she can't read an IEP and follow it. I am praying that those 4 schools he is being referred to for out placement review Junior's information quickly and decide that he would make a good fit so we can get this process going and get him out of his current class. The Individuals with Disability Act states that children with disabilities are entitled to a "free and appropriate" education. Well, his education hasn't been free (85 dollars in registration fees and a little more than that in school uniforms) and it certainly isn't appropriate. I thank God that Junior should soon be placed in a private day school (even if I can't return his uniforms or get the registration fee back) .
However, if she continues to offer inappropriate assignments then I might have keep him at home until he is placed in a more suitable setting. I can't have her not teaching him anything for the next few weeks.
Have you ever had serious doubts about your child(ren)'s teacher? If so, how did you handle them?
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Comments (23)
I'm currently dealing with this. My son is in the first grade and his school work is on a nearly pre-school level. I feel his teacher is giving them busy work while she does her doings. He isn't learning anything new at all. He came home the other day to tell me they watched Arthur at school. It seems everyday it's a new show. I'm not sure I'm catching on to the relevance of watching t.v. at school. I can understand an occasional program but I don't feel everyday is teaching my child. I was impressed with his learning Spanish...but come to find out that's not his homeroom teacher. I'm waiting to see if things change any since it is still early on in the year. But I do plan on taking action if the problems persist.
I totally understand what you are going through. I've been an after school tutor for many years and sometimes I also go with the parents for parent teach conferences. For the most part, teachers don't get enough credit for what they do. Dealing with children for 8 hours can be really tough but lately, I've seen more and more teachers who can't even stand children and are so negative or judgemental. I have a 5 year old foster daughter in kindergarten and her teacher is really moody. She yells and screams for no reason. I'm keeping an eye on her and will transfer my child to another school if I have to.
I've actually been a bit worried about teachers, I'm about a year away from the optional pre-k. But I'm really considering homeschooling. I remember entering middle school and it seemed like so many kids were behind, I feel like I got lucky with my school. I'm worried that my daughter won't be so lucky with her school. I don't know though, if I do decide to send her to elementary school then I'm going to try to be as involved as possible, and fill in gaps if need be. Though if a teacher is severely lacking I think I'd have to go to the principle. Especially in your case is there anyone to complain to, about this teacher? Possibly have some changes made, if not for your son but for the next kid that comes through her class.
I have no children, but I do wish you the best of luck with this situation.
I worked with an autistic child and tutored him reading comprehension. It takes time and lots and lots of patience to work with a special needs child. If this teacher doesn't/can't cut it, your son does need removed from her care.
I have yet to face IEP meetings, but I know that many times they are not followed. Stay diligent and do not allow the school or the teacher to dismiss your feelings. You know your child better than anyone. I hope all goes well and those new schools work much better.
I'd say you need a meeting with the teacher and then carefully without accusing as much as possible ask her why she is not following the IEP. I do not have any special needs children, so I can only say what I have experienced with "normal" (if any child truly is). I have 4 older (much older) and one in first grade. With the older children it never seemed a concern. With my last one, it is different. I blame it on how much things have changed, and because I'm older actually. I am always alert to my son and what he tells me about his day to listen for anything that sounds like a red flag to me. I will talk to the teacher the minute I have any concerns (after trying to make sure I have all the facts).
I hope you can get it straighten out quickly, for the sake of your child's education, which is important to every child.
this is a cool blog lol.
anyway i'm still a student and when i wait to pick up my little cousin, there ARE lots of not-so-great teachers, even in good schools.
good luck with this endeavor!
My daughter is 13. I've never had a teacher follow an IEP. Never. Many of the IEPs written were rediculous and/or "factory made." My suggestions were either not written in or written in with enough condescending looks to flood a village.
I've homeschooled her now for 1. 5 years. Not sure I'm doing a great job but know I'm doing no worse than her "teachers" were.
I'm not one to think teachers are saints or have such a tough job. I'm one to think that others should do their jobs whatever job they chose.
It is pretty ridiculous that she isnt following his IEP. He is the reason IEP's exist!
That being said, I think they often get overlooked because people want to think that their children are perfect. So they do whatever they can to get an IEP for their child. That way their child can still get good grades and look better on paper. (I saw this a lot of the kids in my classes in high school. I have been out for 5 years. But there were tons of kids in the honors classes that got special privilages for test taking. One person was actually allowed to have the test, stop halfway through to study more, and then finish the test.) Anyway, my point is that IEP's have, IMO, gotten so out of hand that they often get ignored, even for the kids who need them.
How frustrating for Junior. I dont blame him for not wanting to do work that is way above his level. You dont want him to be doing work that is too easy so that he doesnt learn anything, but you do want his work to involve things he does know and then build on them with things he doesnt know so that he can feel a sense of achievement and not get unmotivated by it being too difficult. Its just insane that its all too hard and way above his level. It sounds as though rather than her sending home work he didn't finish, it could be better for you to be sending her work suitable for him to be doing.
If she's sending home work that he didn't finish in class, THIS IS A SIGN.
Assuming that this is the regular education teacher, you need to speak with your child's special education teacher, or take it further. As a elementary/special education teacher myself, I know that there are many other strategies to help a student comprehend work, and that sending work home isn't a good one.
Good luck with this...it's tough for parents, children, and teachers alike.
As a tutor I have access to IEP information for the kids that I tutor (when it applies). The situation you're dealing with really isn't all that uncommon, unfortunately. I tutor in the middle school range with kids functioning anywhere from a pre-K to 4th grade level (some are also at grade level in some subjects). Some of these kids are coming to tutoring with work that's way over their heads. It isn't that they can't do the work, they're all very smart kids, but like with your son it's not modified to a level they can comprehend. Your son is lucky he has a mom that knows he can learn and is so involved in his education. Some of these kids that I see, I don't think their parents have even ever read their own child's IEP, much less taken the time to sit down and do homework with them. Keep it up, get in their faces if you have to, your son deserves the best education just as any other child does.
I do not have a child with special needs, but I have had a teacher who simply didn't "get" my son or our family. She made school very hard for him. In short. She was a bitch. She did gradually mellow a bit, but it was still really hard on my son.
Since your son DOES have IEP in place I would contact the teacher or the principal/administrator, and let them know that what she is doing is not in accordance to your son's IEP. And remind them that it is a binding document that THEY must work to make sure they are in accordance with.
I haven't had to face this yet, but this is something you really should address with the teacher first, and then the principle. I know it is what I would do. I would also want to know how much training in teaching special education the teacher has had and if there were actually special ed teachers (specialist etc) available to work with my child. You may have to show her examples of things that are at his reading level if she doesn't get it.
I've had students' parents have doubts about me, but I try to keep precise records of the students' work and records with regards to my classes. When students have gone home and complained to their parents that I gave them a bad grade, I've always had their record to show to the parents on request. Needless to say, when the parents have seen or understood how their son or daughter had earned their bad grade, and it wasn't just arbitrarily given out, their child's protests were no longer brought to my attention....
My parents know my 4th grade teacher hated me. All kids say that, but this time it was true. She looked down on me because I was smarter than the rest of the class and would understand more than she could teach. To bring me down to her level, she would make fun of my religion. I once, proudly, said I missed a day of school for a holiday, Simchat Torah. She kinda nodded and turned to the Student Teacher when I was still in earshot and said "It was Shhcch Hcchc" and laughed. I will never forget it.
The next year I went into a private, religious school.
@JandJinJapan@xanga - Thanks for sharing a teacher's perspective. I have nothing personal against my son's teacher. I am sure she is fantastic with her other students. I admire her even more for admitting in the IEP meeting that aside from the fact that her classroom is not equipped to meet my son's needs, she herself does not have training in teaching children with Kanner's Autism. I can't say how much I love the fact that she is aware that being a special education teacher doesn't necessarily mean that one is able to teach all children with various special needs. Her expertise lies in another area of developmental disabilities.
While we are waiting to hear back from the private day schools, I am working closely with Junior's teacher and aid to make sure that he is getting the best possible education that can be provided. My biggest problem is that while she has a written IEP, she doesn't seem to know how to implement it. It is creating a lot of stress for her, Junior, and me and I am wondering how long we will all be able to hold it together....certainly we can't continue like this for the rest of the year.
Your certainly welcome. I have had a couple of special needs students in my classes, and I always tried to help them as best as I could, and tried to give them easier homework than the others if and when they needed it. One young lady I had, who'd drowned but been brought back to life, yet, had some functioning challenges, actually improved in my class from writing scratchy lines and illegible marks, to putting simple sentences together (it took an entire semester, but I let her know how well she had progressed and how proud I was of her). The Chair for my department at that time had written her off as unteachable. I'm glad that I had her as a student and he didn't. He'd said some pretty bad things, too, about a nearly-deaf student that we had around the same time. She had a lot of trouble with pronunciation, but give her a sheet of paper and ask her to write a poem, and it was some of the most beautiful poetry I'd ever seen!!! Some people just do not know how to teach, and in a tight spot, either give bad ratings to good students, or throw up their hands and stick with the "normal" ones (whatever that means). Our past Department Chair -- for all his good and great qualities as a public speaker and missionary -- was one such...
@dandymandie@xanga - It is actually not a regular ed teacher. This is his special education teacher. She is doing her best. She has no training in teaching children with Autism...there is no Autism program in this district so they just put him somewhere until they could find something more appropriate. He can be a challenging student to work with as he isn't easily motivated. However, he doesn't usually refuse to do work...he just dawdles. It was actually my idea to have her send home the work...first, so he can learn that he can't get out of work. Second, so I could see what it is he wasn't doing.
The school district is working on trying to find a placement for him in a private day school that specializes in educating children with ASD so now I am just waiting on pins and needles. I don't know what will happen if the schools he is being referred to are already full for the year.
It is all just making me a little crazy. Well, a little more crazy than normal for me anyway.
wow you are such an amazing mother
I didn't read through the comments, so I'm sorry if this is a repeat of someone else's comment. As a general ed teacher, my first suggestion is that you contact his Teacher of Record (which should be the special ed. teacher that does the annual case conference with you). If Junior's regular teacher isn't modifying the curriculum properly, the ToR can step in to help see that his work is appropriate.
Shoot. I just saw that the teacher IS the special ed teacher. That's weird that she can't modify the curriculum for him correctly. I guess my other suggestions are:
#1 Find out if you can get the textbooks on audio cassette. We make our own at my school. An aide reads the textbook into an old school recorder and we send the tape with the student. It works well for kids who can understand the material, but can't read it for themselves.
#2 Ask the teacher if he can read summaries of the material that are written at a very basic level. (She or someone else would have to write them, but it's their job to provide the appropriate texts.) If she puts up a fuss, reference the IEP.
#3 If his IEP isn't being followed you can pursue legal action. Seriously. Get ahold of someone at the superintendent's office and if nothing changes, contact you state's department of education. I know it sounds severe, but your child's education is important and they are legally responsible for following the IEP they wrote
I wish you all the best.
@mamaelephant - ok, well that's encouraging that they're in planning to become prepared...a little discouraging...a lot of districts need to realize and at least train teachers in the most common of disabilities...I'll be keeping your son (and you!) in my thoughts!
This is so disheartening to read! I know there are some teachers out there who have seemingly forgotten why they went into teaching, but to read so many comments from others who have had negative experiences with their child's teachers is awful. I'll be student teaching in January and by August I'll probably have my own classroom but I sure hope I keep an open ear to parents and teach material that is appropriate!