Monday, March 9, 2009

My kid's teacher is an ass

OK...so maybe that seems harsh, but as the child of teachers, from a family of teachers, and hell I AM a teacher, I feel that is an appropriate conclusion. Quick background...Haven has some issues, food allergies, undiagnosed seizures until this year, some auditory processing issues as a result of long term seizures. She is on medication daily and needs it to stop the seizures and sort out all of the information she gets in. DESPITE these challenges, she has always achieved. She was on level all the way through until last year where she was above grade level in reading. She had a really bad first grade year and has struggled with writing but is grasping it and doing very well. She reads on at least a fifth or sixth grade level (she is 8) and is a whiz at math and science. We have had to meet with the school twice this year to have some changes made to her classroom to accommodate her (which the first time the teacher did not make). Nothing major, a place where she can stand to work if needed and stress balls to squeeze, she gets easily overwhelmed with all of the information she now gets without the seizures. She was also to be provided stickers with her name, she was getting in trouble for not writing her name on her paper....the kid was just trying to remember the damn instructions and do the work! Then she was supposed to get a review at the end of the day to make sure the important concepts and instructions were understood (has NEVER happened), and her teacher is supposed to provide a printout of anything that is put up on the board (hardly ever happens), copying is a slow, difficult process for Haven. ALL of these are reasonable and well within the limits of her disorder. In addition, by instituting these things, it will help Haven learn new processes and not need adaptations anymore.

So....why is she an ass? She is an ass because my daughter's progress report came home today and the woman had two nice things and three nasty things to say-and they were nit picky nasty. She can never just praise the child for the HUGE strides she has made this year. Then I look at Haven's work from last week and three exams she scored perfect...PERFECT and then Haven told me the teacher yelled at her for having a letter backwards! Is she kidding me! She didn't praise the child for being able to copy HUGE words or for answering ALL the questions correctly...no, she criticized her for making an error that she knows has been a struggle. See....ass.

2 comments:

Casey said...

She's an ass.

Is there a way you can get her on an official IEP (individual education program) which would force the teacher to be held accountable?

This sucks...I am so sorry.

Tribe Mama said...

Hi Casey!

We have met with the school twice including the teacher, counselor, assistant principal and the learning specialist. We came up with the program for her and the teacher is still not complying...the school is behind the program, but the teacher isn't. I have the IEP order from her neuro, but at this rate, we may keep her out for 4th and 5th...she is asking to be homeschooled.

It does just suck...she is so bright.