Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:30
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, sounds like you and this school aren't a good fit. Start looking for a new one. In the meantime your stuck so make the best of it and stop bitching.
I bitch to no one except DCUM. Obv, this isn't something you bring up in polite, highly educated liberal company. It's an unflattering, uncharitable thought that I'm not proud of.
Not all valuable lessons are purely academic. Understanding and acceptance of differences in others is a vital life skill for success in this world; emotional intelligence is important, and experience with developing patience, understanding and acceptance is huge. Your kid will be just fine.
Do you have a professional job in an office setting? If so, would you serenely "accept differences" that directly caused your own workflow / work output to slow down every single day by about 30%? And there was not a single thing you could do to change the situation? You just had to sit there and take it?
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:23
Subject: Re:The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
I have no doubt that what you say is true and well-intended, but exactly none of it is relevant to the OP's situation in an independent school where not-violent kids are the issue.
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. NO, you can't. Some teachers review more at the beginning so they don't have to reteach in November. YOU MEAN, 'reteach before standardized tests', which don't occur in independent schools
If she's a professional she should not be threatened by your question. OP doesn't care about the "why" -- the answer is obvious, and the result is the problem here: the technique makes scholastic life miserable for everyone but the two kids who require this technique
-A teacher/mom.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:11
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, sounds like you and this school aren't a good fit. Start looking for a new one. In the meantime your stuck so make the best of it and stop bitching.
I bitch to no one except DCUM. Obv, this isn't something you bring up in polite, highly educated liberal company. It's an unflattering, uncharitable thought that I'm not proud of.
Not all valuable lessons are purely academic. Understanding and acceptance of differences in others is a vital life skill for success in this world; emotional intelligence is important, and experience with developing patience, understanding and acceptance is huge. Your kid will be just fine.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:10
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Sounds like good teaching practices to me. Kudos to the teacher for making sure that he or she is reaching all learners!Anonymous wrote: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.
You don't get it -- what she is doing is ignoring the needs of the other 95% of kids
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.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:04
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, sounds like you and this school aren't a good fit. Start looking for a new one. In the meantime your stuck so make the best of it and stop bitching.
I bitch to no one except DCUM. Obv, this isn't something you bring up in polite, highly educated liberal company. It's an unflattering, uncharitable thought that I'm not proud of.
OP, I think you need to get off your high horse about how proud you are to be such a progressive, educated liberal. For one thing, that means nothing in the real world -- why can't you just admit it's all BS when it comes to your own $$ and your own kid?
Of course, it sounds great in the abstract -- most liberal ideas do -- but in reality, they are idiotic feel-good statements ("we value ALL learners" ... barf barf) crafted by highly paid consultants who know nothing about real life.
Speak up, woman! This is your child, your school and your money.
+ a million
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:03
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Sounds like good teaching practices to me. Kudos to the teacher for making sure that he or she is reaching all learners!Anonymous wrote: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.
You don't get it -- what she is doing is ignoring the needs of the other 95% of kids
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:02
Subject: Re:The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
I'm a teacher with a special ed background.
My son also has some special needs. (He needs reminders, a lot, but is quick in other ways).
As a parent, I pay for private assistance outside of school to help him keep up.
When our school had some kids that needed more assistance (1:1 reteaching, etc.) more staff was hired.
The expectation was that the parent would pay for the assistant.
Some schools charge more for children who need additional staffing, and have programs for it.
You may want to speak to the director about this.
I agree, though, that sometimes what is good for the children with labels benefit others who don't have labels.
Look up Universal Design for Learning, and the Center for Applied Special Technologies for some ideas on how differentiation works.
We use a rotation model at that age level (look up blended learning) so kids can work independently, in small groups and with some direction from the teacher, as needed.
What makes me crazy is when parents who have kids with special issues don't face it and "hide" their kids in schools where they can't have IEPs and expect the issues to go away, because on the surface, they seem typical/average. This happens and the teachers hands are tied, especially when THEY are also clients spending over $30K.
If a child needs a really fast pace (IQs from 125/130-140+) they should have a teacher who is gifted certified or at least aware how to differentiate up in graceful way. It is something to research when you are looking into programs for your kids.
(Sorry to be so abrupt when I say, "look up". I mean it in a "you might be curious about" way, not a "check yourself before you wreck yourself" way, and I'm sleepy.)
My son also has some special needs. (He needs reminders, a lot, but is quick in other ways).
As a parent, I pay for private assistance outside of school to help him keep up.
When our school had some kids that needed more assistance (1:1 reteaching, etc.) more staff was hired.
The expectation was that the parent would pay for the assistant.
Some schools charge more for children who need additional staffing, and have programs for it.
You may want to speak to the director about this.
I agree, though, that sometimes what is good for the children with labels benefit others who don't have labels.
Look up Universal Design for Learning, and the Center for Applied Special Technologies for some ideas on how differentiation works.
We use a rotation model at that age level (look up blended learning) so kids can work independently, in small groups and with some direction from the teacher, as needed.
What makes me crazy is when parents who have kids with special issues don't face it and "hide" their kids in schools where they can't have IEPs and expect the issues to go away, because on the surface, they seem typical/average. This happens and the teachers hands are tied, especially when THEY are also clients spending over $30K.
If a child needs a really fast pace (IQs from 125/130-140+) they should have a teacher who is gifted certified or at least aware how to differentiate up in graceful way. It is something to research when you are looking into programs for your kids.
(Sorry to be so abrupt when I say, "look up". I mean it in a "you might be curious about" way, not a "check yourself before you wreck yourself" way, and I'm sleepy.)
Anonymous
09/13/2015 21:00
Subject: Re:The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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").
Why is "French" in quotes?
They're actually teaching Romansch, but they call it "French".
(I am not the OP.)
What is romansch?
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:25
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, sounds like you and this school aren't a good fit. Start looking for a new one. In the meantime your stuck so make the best of it and stop bitching.
I bitch to no one except DCUM. Obv, this isn't something you bring up in polite, highly educated liberal company. It's an unflattering, uncharitable thought that I'm not proud of.
OP, I think you need to get off your high horse about how proud you are to be such a progressive, educated liberal. For one thing, that means nothing in the real world -- why can't you just admit it's all BS when it comes to your own $$ and your own kid?
Of course, it sounds great in the abstract -- most liberal ideas do -- but in reality, they are idiotic feel-good statements ("we value ALL learners" ... barf barf) crafted by highly paid consultants who know nothing about real life.
Speak up, woman! This is your child, your school and your money.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:23
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my childrens private school interviewed a couple SN children and had them for a half day. I know the teachers that had them in class were worried since 1) the school isn't staffed or trianed for SN and 2) impact to current students and potential enrollment in the future. Ultimately, the school stayed its course and did not accept SN children.
Did they parade the children through the halls with scarlet "SN"s on their shirts?
Probably, since apparently they were planning on having the kids continue to wear the scarlet letters after enrolling, so as to scare away future families.
I'm glad for those kids' families that they won't be going there. Sounds dreadful.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:21
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Last year, my childrens private school interviewed a couple SN children and had them for a half day. I know the teachers that had them in class were worried since 1) the school isn't staffed or trianed for SN and 2) impact to current students and potential enrollment in the future. Ultimately, the school stayed its course and did not accept SN children.
Did they parade the children through the halls with scarlet "SN"s on their shirts?
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:19
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote: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.
GDS hasn't figured this out yet. Other schools have
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:16
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my childrens private school interviewed a couple SN children and had them for a half day. I know the teachers that had them in class were worried since 1) the school isn't staffed or trianed for SN and 2) impact to current students and potential enrollment in the future. Ultimately, the school stayed its course and did not accept SN children.
How do you know this? You really shouldn't.
I agree! So inappropriate.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:08
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
Anonymous wrote:Last year, my childrens private school interviewed a couple SN children and had them for a half day. I know the teachers that had them in class were worried since 1) the school isn't staffed or trianed for SN and 2) impact to current students and potential enrollment in the future. Ultimately, the school stayed its course and did not accept SN children.
How do you know this? You really shouldn't.
Anonymous
09/13/2015 20:08
Subject: The two SN children in DC's class slow down the pace of instruction every day, every class
I'm assuming Sheridan...sounds like it isn't a fit for your family. Wonderful school, please move on.