> The liberals in education did not want these students to “feel different” so, instead of being in a separate classroom taught by those who were trained to deal with their particular problems, they were placed in “regular” classrooms. This left one teacher to deal with the special needs of one student (which could even include catherization for incontinent students) while trying to teach a full class of “normal” students. On its face, the idea is ridiculous, but is still practiced in some school systems.
When I was going thru school (gr 2-7) in Canada there was precisely such a classroom. Back then, in less sensitive times, it was called the “Mental Class”. All children with dyslexia, hyperactivity, autism, down’s syndrome &tc ended up in this class — all grades. It was taught by one teacher (strangely enough, a New Zealander) and the kids stayed in that class for as many years as it took for them to move on.
Was it a great way to learn? Dunno — I wasn’t a part of that. I do know that many of the kids from the “Mental Class” ended up graduating in Grade 12 with high school diplomas.
One kid in particular — whose diagnosis was described back then as being “stunned” — ended up being a brilliant artist and one of my close friends thru High School. He was quite a bit older than me, and had repeated several of the Elementary School years.
As for the people on this thread who think this teacher should lose her job, or describe her as a “whore of Satan” &tc — I’d like to see you all control a room of 5 year old kids, under similar circumstances. It would be interesting to see your teaching techniques: we could even do a TV show called “The Child Whisperer”.
Seriously, we pay elementary school teachers 5/8ths of bugger-all, and then invest with them our most important assets — our children — and expect them to work miracles with each one of them as individuals: even the disruptive ones like Alex. It makes me wonder why anybody enters the teaching profession: it would be a thankless task at best.
“As for the people on this thread who think this teacher should lose her job, or describe her as a ‘whore of Satan’ I'd like to see you all control a room of 5 year old kids, under similar circumstances.”
Nobody forced her to take the job. If she can't handle it, she should find something more suitable to her talents. I hear Subway sub shops are hiring illiterate morons to write their web pages. (See this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2020985/posts?page=1 .) She should fit in just fine there.
I understand the difficulties of managing a number of unruly children. I also realize that some parents make the job that much tougher. But two wrongs don't make a right. Wanton cruelty isn't a valid personnel management methodology, and anyone who engages in it should be fired.
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