September Thoughts: Reflections on a New School Year
As the summer winds down and the days get shorter, people in the LD OnLine community think about the new school year. Rick Lavoie wrote September Thoughts: Reflections on a New School Year exclusively for LD OnLine. He tells teachers timeless truths about the importance of their work with troubled children — the "Saturday kids" — kids who are confident and competent on Saturdays, summers, and school vacations, but are frightened and frustrated when they enter the classroom.
This article will inspire and inform parents, and help professionals and people with learning disabilities themselves. Lavoie uses the acronym SEPTEMBER. Here are some key points:
- S — Squeaky wheel: The squeaky wheel gets the grease, because the squeaky wheel needs the grease.
- E — Every child is motivated in a different way: So teachers must use a variety of approaches.
- P — Performance inconsistency: Learning problems come and go. The child can do the task one day, but can't do it the next. Don't blame the child if he can't do something you painstakingly taught him the day before. The inconsistency is beyond his control.
- T — Troubled kids: The pain that a troubled child causes is never greater than the pain that she feels. Kids need love the most when they deserve it the least.
- E — Entrusted, so act in loco parentis: Rick Lavoie reminds teachers to give their students the dignity and respect they would want for their own children.
- M — Multidisciplinary education doesn't work: Instead, Rick Lavoie suggests trans-disciplinary meetings in which professionals and parents discuss the child with a spirit of cooperation and collegiality.
- B — Bad vs. dumb: Children, particularly adolescents, prefer to be viewed as a bad kid rather than a dumb kid. So, Rick Lavoie says, "If a child is acting consistently 'bad,' reflect for a moment: Are your approaches and activities making him look 'dumb'?"
- E — Each year is a new year: Give each child a clean slate and let him or her start afresh in your classroom.
- R — Reward direction, not perfection: Progress may be plodding, but you must recognize and reinforce each step toward the target behavior.
Develop a Strong Relationship with Your Child's Teacher
The best way to support your child is to develop a partnership with the teacher, administrators, and other staff who educate your child. The National Center for Learning Disabilities offers some tips on how to Develop a Strong Relationship with Your Child's Teacher. For example:
- Before the school year starts, tell the teachers and staff members how much you are looking forward to working with them.
- Let the administration know how much you appreciate the child's teacher. Speak to the principal or vice principal or send a letter to one of the administrators (with a copy to the teacher).
- Send cards for special events in the teacher's life such as birthdays or the birth of a child or grandchild.
Nominate an LD Young Person for a "Yes I Can" Award
The Council on Exceptional Children honors 27 young people with disabilities. They have to be between 2 and 21 years of age to be eligible. They are selected for excellence in categories such as academics, community service, and employment. The committee reviews the students' achievements as well as the severity of their individual disability in relation to their achievements.
Winners receive a statue, a letter of congratulations from the President of the United States, and they are also invited to attend an awards ceremony and celebration of success.
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A Must-Have Resource from LearningStore: Do you ever have days when the kids seem totally out of control? Do you find yourself falling into the same pointless arguments with your students or your children? Host Richard Lavoie, nationally known expert on learning disabilities, offers practical advice on dealing with behavioral problems quickly and effectively. |
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