How much help should be given to a learning disabled student in a classroom before it should be considered too much help? Strange question, I know, but it concerns me. Should my son be “let loose” to fail without supports, or be given the supports, and not know what he is fully capable of on his own? How can I judge that what the teacher is saying “that he gets too much individual attention” is really true, or that she just is overwelmed being a first year teacher with no aid in the classroom and wants him out?? How can we tell what is right?
Re: How much is too much, How much isn't enough?
Thanks for the reply,
The teacher is saying that he CAN do it, if someone is available to stand next to him, to keep him on task, and to listen to him verbalize what he needs to write to another person. She doesn’t have the time to do that, and I understand that….. But why place him in a resource room, where he would be doing less than he can, just to give him adequate aide.
Re: How much is too much, How much isn't enough?
Ah. I understand. That’s a different matter.
Each resource room is different. Some use a modified curriculum, others don’t. From what you’re saying, you believe his resource room will ‘dumb down’ the curriculum.
Sometimes that is the case, sometimes not. You might consider checking into that a bit.
Would you prefer to have him out of the resource room but receiving poor grades in a regular classroom? Would he?
That too is a philosophical question but it’s your right to answer it as you see best for your family and your son. If you don’t want him back in the resource room, he doesn’t have to be there.
Good luck.
These are really philosophical questions and so there may be no right or wrong answer. Each teacher has their own different feelings in regard to this.
Her statements imply that he could do the work on his own …. but won’t. Is that true as you see it? If it is, why is he not doing the work?
In my 20+ years of teaching, I’ve rarely seen a student who just refuses to do the work. I have seen many who have trouble staying on task when left to their own devices. I ‘ve seen just as many who would benefit from a teacher’s guidance and help and with that, they can do the work.
Her philosophy also assumes that if allowed to fail, the failure will motivate your son to do the work on his own. Sink or swim. I would disagree with that as well but many would disagree with me. I haven’t seen failure in school as doing anything but creating more failure in school. Failure breeds failure. It doesn’t breed success.
Her philosophy, though, may as you say be born of being an overwhelmed first year teacher. She may be doing all that she can right now. In any case, I wouldn’t want my son to be left loose to fail without supports. I don’t believe that’s what schools are for.
Some other teachers will tell you ‘if I hold their hand now, someone will need to hold it always.’ Common sense, it seems to me, speaks against that. As we grow and mature, we are naturally more capable of meeting the challenges life offers us. Children are children. Teenagers are teenagers. They are still learning to meet the challenges of life and they will meet them the better, I think, if they are helped to successfully meet the challenges of school.