Reply to The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I thought I was a compassionate, inclusive typical DC liberal, but I guess I'm not, in the privacy of my own thoughts.    I am, frankly, irritated to learn that instruction slows way, way down every single lesson to accommodate the two kids in DS's grade who need extra supports.

If this was occasional, DC (and I) would feel differently but it's constant and shows no end in sight.   I think this is the new normal for 80% of DC's classes (save for art, PE and "French").    DS attends an independent school, which is not mandated by IDEA to provide an 'appropriate education' to students with learning challenges.   The school values all kinds of learners.  This sounded really sweet and noble to me on paper, and it still does conceptually, but it's frustrating in practice.

I say all the right things to DC about inclusiveness and compassion but I'd be lying if I said I'm thrilled to be paying $35,000 a year so the entire class can move at the slowest common denominator pace necessitated by these students.

*The supports amount to the teacher(s) repeating themselves multiple times, restating the idea, waiting until one student processes the information and signals as much.    The other student requires that the lesson stop every few minutes, literally (I've seen it) while the teacher(s) reorient the student.   Then the teacher(s) must rewind and repeat the last few sentences before adding new information.[/quote] Sounds like good teaching practices to me. Kudos to the teacher for making sure that he or she is reaching all learners![/quote]

You don't get it -- what she is doing is ignoring the needs of the other 95% of kids[/quote]

Set up a time to talk to her about it.

1) We had a kid in my son's class who used to smack the teacher. She had no voice in the situation until WE said that our child was anxious about his teacher's safety. (He was.)

2) We had a teacher last year who had 4 kids with SNs, but only 1 was diagnosed. Parents crucified her for using alternative techniques to meet the needs of all of the kids. Some of the parents whose kids were struggling the most were the most vocal about her strategies. When the kids were finally tested, and found to have things like dyslexia, nobody went back and said, "Sorry. NO wonder you spend so much time reading aloud and providing outlines and study guides." They accused her of dumbing down. Meanwhile, everyone's overall scores went up that year on the standardized tests.

Just ask her about the strategy, why she does it, and if she's concerned. Also, tell her your concerns. YOu can ask for a pacing guide. Some teachers review more at the beginning so they don't have to reteach in November.

If she's a professional she should not be threatened by your question.

-A teacher/mom. [/quote]

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