Had an interesting talk with my 14 year old freshman son last night. Thought I would share what he had to say about learning differences. As most of you know he has struggled with school since day 1. Here is what he had to say. He said, “you go to school the first day full of excitement and a bit of nervousness about what you are going to learn.” “For students who struggle to learn in the classroom enviroment this soon fades.” “Yourfeelings of exitement are replaced by feeling of dread, lonliness, and of being different.” “You find yourself falling furhter and further behind and having less in common with your peers.” “You are
allowed to crash hard and then someone MAY say hey this child needs help.” “Sometimes this does not come for years and the self-esteem has taken a beating.” “To top things off you receive a label and then nothing is expected of you.” “Teachers no longer try to challenge you they just assume you can’t.” “If you are lucky, like me, you run into a teacher who offers you real help and accepts you for who you are and then you start to learn.” “After this little seed of success is planted it starts to spread and you gain confidence.” “Then do you know happens” ’ he asked me? I asked him to go on. He said, “you realize you can learn, you are not stupid, you just learn different, then you get the craving back to learn.” We had this chat after he and his sister had discussed the differences between the old school system they were in and the one they are in now. It was a very enlightening day for me. I believe there is multiple intelligences and that my sons strongest area of intelligence is relating to people. He is very good at reading them and understanding where they are coming from. Just thought you all would find this interesting.
Re: Insight from a 14 year old
I posted it here because I wanted the wonderful teachers here on this board who care enough about their students to come and share ideas to know that what they do does makes a difference. Like you said it was the right teacher connecting with my son that got the ball rolling for him. Since that time (7th grade) it has been nothing but constant improvement. You should of heard him go on last night about all the things he had learned about our universe and solar system. I have never heard him repeat such a great detailed amount of imformation. It was after this that he and his sister discussed the difference between their old school system and new one, and then later that night we had a talk. This kid after so much failure use to not lift a finger to help himself (why should I I will only fail). Now he is talking about taking summer school for the 2nd summer in a row to continue to catch up to his peers. It is funny I use to hear how lazy he was now I hear what a role model student he is. He still isn’t on grade level for reading but he sure can accomodate himself for that. He still forgets to bring home assignments or too turn them in after he completed them—but nothing like before. Like you said it is like having a new kid. One that is happy, self confident, and willing to work!
Re: The teachers here are great!
Any teachers that care enough to be on this site are great! I have learned so much here.
Re: Insight from a 14 year old
It’s not just students who can’t succeed. I taught a 4th grader to read and the principal told me: “You aren’t teaching her right.” I asked her if the teachers who didn’t teach her to read were teaching her right. She didn’t answer.
ALL OF US who managed to learn in spite of ld have earned our wings. The US public schools are designed to teach us and inspite of W’s claim that he will “leave no child behind”, he is DOING just that.
Re: Insight from a 14 year old
How can they say you are not teaching right if someone is learning? Is not the purpose of going to school to learn? Does this principal think that just because a child has an LD they can not learn? I have been told that both my boys would never be “good students”. My “poor student” boys are both progressing in school very nicely. The oldest is in a majority of all regular ed classes and he has a C+ average, what is wrong with that? He sits side by side with his regular ed peers in classes like citizenship, language, algebra, ect, and he performs at the middle of the pack. My youngest son is starting to read books on a 3rd grade level (he is in 4th). You may ask so what is the big deal? The big deal is that in 2nd grade he could only read 2 words. He can write a simple 5 sentence paragraph, do math on grade level, and gets by in regular social studies and science. All this from a kid who was never suppose to be able to learn. Who should decide who can and who can’t? Sorry did not mean to rant on but I just get so flustered when I hear “that child can’t learn”. Good luck the rest of the school year, looks like you do make a difference do not let this person get you down.
Re: and then they get on the roller coaster...
lisa,
my son would say the same as yours. for him the turning point came in 3rd grade with intensive lindamood reading instruction to get him closer to gade level and then in 4th grade a wonderful, wonderful teacher who liked him, respected him, and knew he had so much to offer in spite of trying to fit in to a regular classroom with severe dyslexia. she nurtured him, cared about him and showed him after many teachers had treated him with much less expectation, that he could do so much in the classroom………
and then the roller coaster. 5th grade (current year) he hass a teacher who is “undoing” all this great work by having much lower expectations for him, not taking the time to “learn how he learns”, and generally just making it obvious to my son that she does not have the time for him….
it is a rough year. and very unfair after thye great success he felt last school year. he struggles on. we struggle on. and hope he gets another wonderful teacher next year (i know there are many, many of you out there).i would hate to see the roller coaster derail alltogether…
Sounds like you have a great kid. My son is 10 and I guarantee your son is 100% right with his assessment of sped.
Finally, 5th grade my son has a great teacher she challenges the kids tells them they can do anything. Her motto is “Reach for the Stars”. The difference in my son this year is like I got a new kid.
You should post this for all the teachers to read.