Scared New Teacher

I know this sounds harsh, but forget about talking to the teachers. The biggest favor you can do for yourself is to talk to parents and do your own research. Talk to experts in the field such as neuropsychologists, educational consultants, etc. Please don’t fall into the trap that teachers actually know what’s going on with learning disabilities. FALSE. You may find the rare few SPED teachers who have a clue, but your best resources are going to come from those in the trenches. Sorry to be so negative, but I have learned the hard way. Try posting on the parent boards for some solid advice. As you know all LD kids are individual and what better way is there than to hear the success and failure stories from the individual parents. Don’t mean to offend anyone, so please no hate mail.

Hi, Jenn,

You have come to the right place! While I agree with the idea that many special ed. teachers out in the schools do not know the best and latest research and techniques in special ed., that is NOT true here on this board! There are excellent teachers here and you will gain a wealth of information from them. Many of us have graduate degrees and have spent thousands of dollars of our own money and a lot of our own time unpaid to learn the best remediation techniques for LD’s.You can learn from the experiences of parents here, too. They come from the position of having unique experiences in regard to their own children and have various feelings regarding the process and outcome of their child’s services. (I am a parent and teacher, by the way).

As an experienced teacher, there are a couple of things I will tell you. First, they may not have taught you the best programs for remediation reading disabilities in your college programs. If you haven’t already, you should try to take a summer workshop on Phono-Graphix or Lindamood-Bell programs. Few schools have what is needed to remediate reading problems…you’ll have to do this on your own. You’ll just be so glad you did!

Second, try to have strong relationships with all your parents. That is the best case scenario for the child. Some parents cooperate and some don’t. Some are wonderful and some are hostile because of past experiences. Just try to build a working relationship. They need to know that you are doing something worthwhile and proven to help their child. The results will speak for themselves.

Love those kids and help them feel good about the things they can do well. You will have the reward of being loved back.

Blessings to you!
Janis

Jenn,

As a mom I can promise you the kids will know if you are truly trying to help them. Do not take for granted that a kid cannot do better than what it may say on tests etc.

Treat them with respect and positive support and you will be surprised how hard they will work. You will see soon which teachers are really good at teaching kids. Learning can be interesting and fun it does not have to be just by the book.

Yes, listen to the parents about their childs strenghts and weakness. Do not think that because a kid couldn’t do something last year they can’t do it this year.

Do your best, enjoy the kids and you will be fine.

Jenn,

As a mom I can promise you the kids will know if you are truly trying to help them. Do not take for granted that a kid cannot do better than what it may say on tests etc.

Treat them with respect and positive support and you will be surprised how hard they will work. You will see soon which teachers are really good at teaching kids. Learning can be interesting and fun it does not have to be just by the book.

Yes, listen to the parents about their childs strenghts and weakness. Do not think that because a kid couldn’t do something last year they can’t do it this year.

Do your best, enjoy the kids and you will be fine.

Thanks so much for all of the advice.

Hay Jen,
Don’t weast your time readding any book on this. Once you watch your students you will get to know them just like they will get to know you. One teacher made a difrents in my life so I hope your can do the same for atleast one of yours.
I wrote a story on what it’s like to grow up with this but because I’m not a Dr. or some one with a P.H.D they don’t think I know what I’m talking about.. Some of the most famus people in the U.S.A. have L.D. and A.D.D. and other things like that. The best thing you can do is ask for help, so good job and DON’T EVER GIVE UP.

Jenn,
There are many websites that you can visit that will help you out. A great one that you may want to visit is www.abcteach.com
Terri

All of the advice so far has been wonderful.

Please don’t fall into the pitfalls of some resource teachers who have been around my daughter (“this is the way we do it here”). As a teacher, always keep current and learning.

Please remember that most kids, LD or not, are a lot smarter in picking up subtle vibes and cues from their adult teachers than they may be given them credit for. What matters most to me is that my daughter goes to school every day not dreading it, in a positive environment where she is always trying her best and making steady (and some days not so steady) progress - which means her sometimes delicate self esteem remains intact.

Understanding ADHD and how it affects learning is my latest pet peeve. There is a high percentage of ADHD kids who may have learning disabilities or differences - but sometimes they fall throught the cracks in the school systems and misinterpreted by teachers. Many teachers claim they “know ADHD” but I have met few who absolutely understand what it looks like, that it may look differently in different kids (the obvious hyperactive sterotype doesn’t always apply) and how it can truly affect learning. But I’ve also learned - give me a classroom teacher or RR teacher who may not completely understand it, but without even blinking can come up with three positive workable suggestions to for a specific situation any day.

Good luck.