addressing teacher's methods

You ask a good question. Have you thought about talking to the principal, and/or the school psychologist and the guidance counselor and ask them the same question? I’d particularly point out to them the all or nothing homework thing. Isn’t the point of homework to practice the skill? Isn’t homework where it’s supposed to be ok to get something wrong so that you can later get it right on the test? Children need to learn the skill. If all homework has to be 100% correct for credit, where in this teacher’s classroom is the time where kids get to try out the new skill they’re working on? (especially in math! Homework has always been the place to get it wrong in math classes, learn from your mistakes, and then hopefully get it right on the test. I never heard of any math teacher expecting all the homework to be done right the first time)

I’d ask that question of everybody, including, gently, the teacher.

The other question to ask is… when does she collect the homework? Where are there five late homeworks in his folder? When during the day does she prompt these students with a reminder to turn in their homework?

After that, I’d gently point out to the this teacher and everybody in the meeting that he is doing well in all the classes he receives support in. I’d ask what kind of support he could be given in his reading and math class and how soon it could be put into place because it’s clearly obvious that with the kind of support he needs, he does well. The proof is in the pudding. Thank them for the good support that they offer him in his other three subjects and keep asking when he’s going to get support in reading and math as well.

Either they’ve got to come up with something or offer you the resource room placement that your son prefers.

If though all else fails and you find your son still in this class, I would thoroughly check every homework paper he does at home before he takes it in to school. I would make sure every answer was right and every question completely done and thus beat this teacher at her own game.

Good luck.

Thanks Sara, all good questions. Let’s hope the answers I get are just as good. I appreciate the help. I agree about the homework being where the work is attempted and then corrected at school. That’s how it was done in elem. school. Of course middle school is a whole new world. We are still trying to find the maps to navigate it I suppose!Thanks again. Amy

As a resource teacher and as a mother of an ADD son ,I have tried color coding his books to go with assignments, started him on a daily calender, use post it notes regularly and have met with his t.eachers to discuss these organizational strategies. My son too, was not doing well because he would lose his work etc.
It has made a difference for my son to teach to use these memory aids., and his marks have improved. yours truly
J Edwards.

We are currently using a school to home planner that the teacher and I both initial and we have schoolbooks at home. Chris also uses one large notebook that is tabbed and I help him make sure his work is all in there in the proper tabbed spot. So I know the work is there, Dad says the locker is empty so it isn’t getting lost, just not handed in or recorded.My son says he is the only one in class who is add, though most kids don’t advertise so he may not be correct about that. If he is, then I guess that brings up other things like maybe the teacher doesn’t want to deal with Chris’ issues or could possibly resent him and the fact that he arrived in her class the week before Christmas vacation(Chris didn’t care much for that either :o) ) I don’t know, I guess I will see what’s gonna happen on Monday. I have been writing notes from the useful advice I’ve gotten here and hope to make a battle plan Sunday with my husband (who by the way thinks the letters IEP are supposed to magically make Chris a straight A student…sometimes, I wonder…..).Thanks for your advice. I did buy two new folders to put in his large notebook, one will say homework and will only hold one night at a time and one for his handouts until I can 3 hole punch them and put them away. Maybe this will help? I had already taped a list of questions on the front of the planner which is the first thing he sees when he opens the notebook asking things such as did I get the planner initialed? Did I turn in my homework? Did I copy my assignment correctly? There are a couple more but not an overwhelming amount. Mostly ones so he will fulfill the homework contract.Facts are he is fulfilling the contract, so am I doing my part, that is why I am dismayed that he is still doing so poorly with this teacher whose idea it was in the first place to do a contract.And so it goes…
Thanks again.

hi,
i have a similar problem. i have just hired an LD attoney and am going to be removing my sons LD teacher from his case. sometimes you need to put your childs well being first and if feelings are hurt then so be it. its either make no waves or say it like it is. the teacher will be upset with you no matter what you do.. good luck

Hi , just thought you would be interested to learn that on the day of the meeting which was to occur this past Monday, the sped teacher came to my husband and me, to let us know that the uncooperative teacher had called a substitute that morning. We went ahead and vented to the sped teacher who wrote all our comments down,(an admin rep was there as well as a sec.) and now we have to reschedule the meeting.This is such a pain, cause I get no sleep the night before these things(you all can probly relate). I am not too sure what I am able to do as far as legal since this is an overseas DODDS school and don’t really think at this point it would be needed. We got the distinct impression from the sped teacher that she had heard this before from other folks. Basically, it comes down to giving my son credit for his efforts, and giving him more direction and supervision. I have to tell both my boys at bedtime to get dressed for bed, brush your teeth and go to the bathroom. Every night. And… stay after them all morning til they get to school. I keep it a routine but they still have to be reminded. Of course those are pre and post med times too, the teachers have them when they are with it and cooperative! Anyway will keep y’all posted on what comes next. Thanks for all your advice.

I can empathize with you. In my professional opinion, I think he needs his assignments modified, maybe have him complete only the odd problems. I believe a teacher could have a true assessment based on a certain number of problems, or amount of information.
Definitely discuss this with the teacher and propose the adaptation. Even in Public Law 504, it states that adaptations be made in the General Educational setting, even if the person is not qualified for Special Education.
Good luck!

As a special education teacher..Adaptive Behavior..I would suggest that you get another teacher involved..this school shoud have a teacher that is something like ABC or EDB..if not at least Content Mastery should be assisting him in these classes.
When you have your ARD meeting which I would be requesting one ASAP maybe you can address some of the concerns. Teachers should be thrilled to deal with a concerned parent..too many parents are not like you when they have students with ADD..
Here are a few good resources…you may even want to print some out and take it to your school…

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/behavior/hearts_minds.html
This is a website that contains an article on the emotio

http://ericec.org/faq/ldsped-x.htm
This is an Eric website that gives several links dealing with students that qualify for Special Ed.

http://www.ldanatl.org
Learning Disability Association has information on disabilites with several different links for more information.
Fact sheets focusing on Early Childhood Intervention..FYI focuses on new Legislations and law links..very helpful

http://www.ldanatl.org/articles/adhd/school.shtml This has a list of strategies dealing with ADHD students.
Lesson Plans sites:

http://www.ldonline.org/
This is a good web site for Learning Disabilities..this is great for teachers, parents, and children that are LD.
There is a search engine, and links to information for each appropriate age.

4-2-01,

It never ends. When are schools going to give teachers the skills that they so desperately need to teach all children. I used to think that I was alone. I felt ashamed, and didn’t understand how to cope with the lack of responsiveness on the part of schools when it came to getting support in every subject. When a child has ADD or ADHD, and Dyslexia, they need support in all subject areas.

It is still so difficult for these educators to understand. The only thin you can do is never give up. Go to the hearing. Get the best Lawyer possible. And let the schools have it. Because you watch your child every single day . You know best what his strenghts and deficits are. You may not know how to address them, or get the child to learn skills to compensate. But you know what would work best. And to not have educators that you can trust, who would not listen to parents who know their children from the inside out, is disgusting, and shameful.

They sight a rise in cases, and abuses of the sysytem by some parents. I can’t worry about the people who abuse the sysytem, or break laws in anything. I have one job. And that is to the welfare of my child. To protect his civil rights and his future. Education is the key to their future, and you must use every strategy to bend and even break a sysytem that is so entrenched in their way of doing things, that they csan’t or refuse to keep up with advances in modern medicine that is helpful in bringing to all children, the prospect of the best educational experience they could possibly have.

Any teacher, principal, school board, and municipality that doesn’t want to do everything in their power to leave no child behind, should step down, give us the tax dollars so that we can have an option, to go to a private institution to make that happen. But beware private institutions.

I have parked my son in one in NYC for two years while I fought the Bd of Ed,
and the private schools are only interested in taking your money, and in their standingin the private school community. And they force you to pay for a resource room like service which may be inadequate to meet the child’s needs, blame the child or you for the child’s inability to keep up. And you have no one to turn to. There is no recourse except to sue them to. But this is bad, especially if you want your child to stay. They ( the school) could really make it uncomfortable for your child to stay.

All this is to say, educate yourself, get everything you can on that IEP, or 504 services. Keep a mean paper trail. Always communicate by letter, and keep a copy, if you talk to the school for any reason. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for the sites, they were helpful.
Finally had the meeting with the teacher and sped teacher. Most issues brought up were resolved satisfactorily. Only time will tell. At least now that tests have been retaken and work recorded this past 2 weeks my son now has a C in both the reading and math classes. Which is fine, I just knew I would not accept Fs or Ds when the academic grades themselves didn’t support them. So we will carry on with the homework contract and the teachers know I expect better accounting than what we had before. As far as learning the material, it appears my son is learning, as usual he doesn’t always test well, but we have procedures for that also.
Anyway, thanks y’all for your info and support, I needed it amongst all the panic I was feeling.
by the way make sure you read Dad and Andy’s posts, they were great!!(dated around April 4 or 5)
Thanks again!!