Viewed school and wanted to cry

Dear auditory mom,

I am so sorry for what you experienced and for what your child must have to endure every day. My hunch is that you are right that they probably helped because you were there. I want go to my son’s school to observe what a typical day is like for him because the school has a different view from ours as to how my son reacts to his difficulties. But I am AFRAID of what I will see and how I might react. I also wonder if I will get the true picture. My son’s gen ed teacher is very irritated with the amount of effort my son requires yet the school will not agree to creating an LD classroom to supply the actual services he needs. They feel his needs are being met in the classroom with a resource teacher who comes in and assists everyone. Bottom line is I do not believe that these kids are getting what they truly need, they are considered a burden at times and just moved along as teachers “lower the bar” for them by like you said, just providing the answers. What is your next step? I’m curious as to how you will react to what you saw because I could use some guidance myself. I wish I had some advice, but I feel your sadness.

Lisa,

I know exactly what you mean in fact I do cry often. This year I went to my son’s class 3 times not to observe but because I had to bring him from appts. etc. Each time I went there was no teaching going on either kids doing “seat work” or nothing.

Most of the papers that he brings home at the end of the week are homework papers.

The kids love the teacher she gives prizes for being good but they aren’t learning.

I am going to get a chance to see what happens in my sons resource room very soon I have to observe it for my own classes .I wanted to observe when he was not in there and she said it wont be a problem if I do while he is in there and really wants me to stay all day.I just know from experience how he acts when he knows I am in the room.She said it is better to stay all day and see everything they do not just parts and she says my paper will be better.I really think she wants to see how he is with me around which is fine with me too.She might see a different side of him.She has been really open to any suggestions I have said and even asks my opinion in his work before she starts something new with him .Which I know she dont with all the others in there.But I do know she sees me quite often and I am getting my masters in Sp.Ed. right now.

I am part mad at myself for not viewing classroom earlier as I assumed that from our earlier meeting that year where I had asked everyone together and talked about them getting together to make her schooling appropriate such as the speech pathologist talking to the learning support and general ed teacher about concepts to preteach my child so she could understand it in class.But what I get is general ed teacher giving us inappropriate homework and gen ed teacher saying just do what you want and notes I give to her she passes to the learning support teacher.Gen ed teacher says she preteaches the concepts to the whole class when I asked for concepts to be given to me to preteach so I get nothing.I asked for copies of results of Woodcock Johnson tests so I can keep on my child progess and pass IEP so I could total view but I got IEP that did not have any progress on them,they did not note when tasks were completed .Fortunately I have mine that I saved but I thought they would have more complete records.I did not get what I wanted because I could not be there at a time the learning support could go over the multi-records to see what I want.I put a phone call into learning support and psychologist about pulling her out of math for social studies.Called speech pathologist but only there two days a week and never got a call from them.MY only thing that keeps my hopes high is the work she does with me and the reading tutor I hired.We work on reading and writing and the tutor even sneaks math in (my child gets points for how many words she uses in a sentence and counts them up).Thanks to this bullentin board I got ideas and suggestions that help teach my child and I appreciate it-besides it letting me vent over my frustrations with school.

I go to volunteer in my son’s class every Friday afternoon. Well what happened was some boys (not my son) were being a little difficult and not reading quietly. She was in the middle of a conversation with another teacher and she yelled (and I mean Yelled) to the boy that if he didn’t sit quietly and read he would go to the office for the rest of the afternoon. It was quiet for about 30 seconds and then she said “that’s it, Micheal you are not welcome in our classroom, go to the office” I felt like taking my son home right there. I know my son is difficult at times too and I would hate to think that he thinks he’s not welcome in his classroom either.
I am contemplating homeschooling next year. There has to be a better way for my son to learn than this!.

This sounds like my son’s 2nd grade classroom. I was unable to do anything about the situation - teacher is still there doing the same thing but fortunately my son is out of it. I can surely sympathize - you are not alone. Talk to other parents of your child’s classmates. It might take a group effort to change things but be aware that my experience has been that principals tend to be leary of parents who complain about a teacher or her style. Good luck.