Help!!
My Son is Failing!!! He is in 6th Grade. He has low self -esteem, and recieves Title One, because I am a Long term sub at the school. He has a 504 plan that the teacher will follow to a certian extent. I work with them so it makes things complicated. I now have him currently checking out with me after school with his planner to make sure he is ready for the next day. Some people think I do to much for him. He just dosen’ t walk to the same beat as the school does. Any suggestions on how I can communiciate to the teachers who want to teach the students to be on time, turn things in, and remember your name to be more flexible. Average classroom size 35 Yikes
Thanks Sue:)
Re: Aother Newbie Question
Helping a kiddo stay organized is not doing too much, it’s a question of priorities. Are you going to school to learn to be organized or to learn reading & writing & science & history &…? (And how many folks *learn* to be organized that way? Most of ‘em it seems just learn that they are disorganized and fail.)
One way to work with the “they have to learn to be responsible” teachers is to work in a pathway towards that independence. So — right now they are to remind, make sure stuff is in ye olde planner, etc; their reward for doing this daily for two weeks is that after that, Monday is the kiddo’s day to write it in himself (assuming dysgraphia is not a big deal). And when Monday comes and he does it, hoist a toast — or have him call around to his buddies to find what the assignments were, or scan the assignment into the machine at the library and email it in or whatever. (Basically, make him responsible for having the thing happen, try to figure out a way so that he can build it into his routine -like a mnemonic to say to himself as he stands up to leave any room … “BAP!” (Bookbag Assignments Planner) — and find alternatives to fall back on when something doesn’t work out.)
I am a little confused, you said they follow his 504 plan to a certain extent? I wasn’t aware that these were optional plans, I thought that they were required to follow them?!?
Just out of curiousity, why didn’t your son qualify for an IEP? Was he diagnosed with a learning disablity?
I would call a team meeting and review the 504 plan and review your son’s needs. When you say he is failing, is it one particular subject or all subjects? Has he been evaluated recently?
K.