"...out of great failure can come great learning..."
Wow, almost a month since I posted? That seriously says how busy things have been around here. I noticed the other day that I hadn't commented or checked blogs in so long!
I have learned a lot in the past month, I have lost two students in the last month too. One because my room was too challenging and that she would have it easier in public school. Two things about that statement bother me; 1. why is a challenging room a problem when your child is making, excuse me, EARNING straight A's & thinking for herself; 2. Why is a public school easier, when I was a public school teacher before this stint in my life and I teach the same stuff the same way I did before with the exception of S.S. and math? The curriculum changed for the whole state, last year for math while I was teaching PK4 and this year S.S. is new-that isn't the point, the point is WHY DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR A CHILD THAT IS SUCCESSFUL IN A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT? and the kicker, they paid for the whole year and you don't get reimbursed for that my friend. The second child is a battle won, hear me out. This child came to me in August with everyone else and in September came in with a heavy psych evaluation that said several critical things one of which is slow learner, has a slight learning disability, is ADD, & some other emotional stuff. We can't service her, I did everything I know to do just short of actually writing for her and she was still struggling. Her guardian took her frustration out on me and after her yelling at me countless times and yelling at our director last week she FINALLY took her to a public school so she would receive services. In my opinion everyone wins in this one, most importantly the girl who so desperately needs someone who knows how to help her more than I could with limited resources & I am not afraid to say it experience with her needs.
Everything else is going good in case you wondered. :)
4 comments:
I lost two students in the last two months too!
Argh - definitely a "you win some you lose some" situation. I think that your sweetie who was being "too challenged" will still be okay (even if less challenged, haha), but that the other kid will do better with a TEAM of folks to help. When I taught in Macon, I fought tooth & nail to get a kiddo some special ed help, not because I didn't want to help him, but because I COULDN'T help him. That didn't work out, and I really wonder what happened to him. I'm glad this kiddo is going to be better off. :)
K and SBB,
I'm going to touch on the "less challenging public school". I (or my team mates)am not allowed to give homework. If I assign 20 minutes of outside reading then that is all they can have! As an educator I am frustrated. Plus, under the new standards I am to assess and reassess until they make 100. Failure is not an option. I realize this may totally be because of where I am, and that other schools do not follow this situation. My understanding is that next year will be even worse!
Also, I'm still not over the fact that I'm getting 5th graders with MAJOR issues that no one has ever noticed before. Or that under NCLB I have 5th graders that are 13!
I love you both and you are both excellent educators, but these days our hands are being tied by administrators. Bottom line (in my world) don't do anything that will cause a parent to complain! Now I will put my soapbox up!
PS. I love it when we get to think out loud, without fear of retaliation.
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