This is my second year with a 14yo, (now) 8th grade boy. His first year at this regular ed school was last year. he began last year unable to read any words fluently, he had to sound them all out. He progressed well, and at the bdginning of this year could read most “Dolch” words fluently most of the time.
He is mainstreamed, with 1 hr/day pull out for reading instruction 1:1. This year he does no work in any of his classes. Won’t do weekly art sketches, homework, or participate. He was much better in this area the end of last year.
What can the teachers/administration do? He is supposed to go to HS next year, but at this point is at serious risk of not passing 8th grade.
Those of you who have faced this, please, any suggestions as to why this might be happening, and what can be tried to turn things around for this child are much needed.
Thanks—very frustrated. Karen
Re: Student won't work
Hmmm… some ramblings…
I had this student — in my special ed class for the content areas(before “inclusion” was so big). I realized that what he needed more than anything was some success, so that he’d have some confidence… so I gave him an F and let him know that he might just be spending the next year in the same grade.
I *had* contacted parents several times about his failure to complete any work — work that I had made sure was appropriate. He sincerely believed that because he was in special ed, he didn’t have to work to go to the next grade. This made him angry enough not to work. I explained to him that no, the label didn’t mean we didn’t expect anything from him — we thought more of him than that. It was sort of my mantra. (It helps me to read Marva Collins to get in the mindset for these situations.)
I was pleasantly surprised that, indeed, this was the wake-up call he needed. He started working.
This was very good, since my assistant principal (in his first and last year there… assaulted a few too many students) took issue with me giving a special ed student an F. I hate to think, though, how the student would have responded had he known I would have
gotten in trouble” for giving him an F.
My first big quesiton would be wehther the work is appropriate… *if* it is, then my goal would be to make it more difficult for him *not* to do the work than it would be for him to do it, with the goal of giving him some success to build on. How do the parents fit in to the equation? (For my student, they supported me, much to my surprise!) I’ve found that when a student has to stay after and work for half an hour if he didn’t work in class — work that I’ve tailored to him — then suddenly he is willing to “rise to the occasion.” In that after school time I *can* figure out whether his get-the-work-done issues are because the work is too hard (or perceived as thus).
(On the other hand, I had another student who had violated the attendance regulations and missed too many days — by 2… and attended *much* better than he’d done the year before — and I was painfully aware that if this kiddo was in eighth grade again, we would not see his face. I did pull the “special ed” card out for him and in his ninth grade year got his reading level up 2 grades — so I don’t know what happened in high school, but I do know he was functioning better in the world.)
my opinions?
I would find what successes he has had in education. Maybe he needs to be pulled out of some of the reg. education classes? Or, is he learning in the classes and just isn’t handing in work? I have failed students who cannot get their work in- One thing I tell my students,” completing work is a job skill. Your boss tells you to do something and you don’t do it, or turn it in late, you don’t work there for very long. I tell my sudents that they can choose to fail, but if they choose to pass, I will be happy to help them.
student won't complete assignments
I had a student very much like this last year. This year he is working with a pee tutor. That has REALLY helped him. His peer tutor is another student that he likes very much, but is very responsible. The peer tutor encourages him to get things done and turn them in on time. Of course it helps that they have all classes (but two) together. I don’t know for sure that this would hep in your situation, but just throwing it out there … . . :)
It would help to know what this student says when you ask him why he isn’t participating. To me it suggests he’s tremendously discouraged by something. Either he has given up - understandable in a student with his reading difficulties - or his home life may have been worsened.
He sounds depressed to me. Too often in schools we try to fix the problem without knowing what it is. Someone needs to quietly and sincerely try to get this student to open up.
Good luck.