Posted on 11/14/2005 10:10:08 AM PST by SmithL
I never cast any "dispersians."
Read the mail I sent you.
I'm VERY proud of my kids! All 3 of them!
I love seeing good parents being proud of their broods:).
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!! We teachers live for good parents like you and success stories like that of your son. THANK YOU for being such a great parent. It's refreshing to see someone tell a positive story for once. Some people just want to see the negative so it is nice when there are people out there like you. It's funny that I rarely get replies to the stories I share here that happen in my own classroom.
I share your thoughts about special education teachers. I think that "special" label in front of their name sometimes has an alternate meaning. They live for their students' successes too. And they get to see a TON of neat things happen. I had a girl last year in resource (referred in kindergarten) who made wonderful progress. She's almost to the point where she is on grade level which is some kind of miracle. My neighbor (same neighborhood as my school) has made wonderful progress despite being autistic and essentially not being able to talk until he was 4.
We had this deaf girl with cerebral palsy at my first school. Those dedicated SE teachers worked with her a lot. She made WONDERFUL progress, learning how to read quite well. She made anyone's day with her infectious smile. I loved having her in my PE class because she always tried so hard. Sometimes she did quite well even. It brought tears to about everyone's eyes when her eyes lit up at a Christmas assembly dedicated to her--especially when some sang Christmas songs in sign language.
Then there was Tyler in the wheelchair. What a wonderful person he was!! He was another that tried in PE class despite his limitations. For basketball, I would set up a lower basket for him and he would speed up and slam dunk the ball to a standing ovation from the other kids. They also found out that his wheelchair served as a good barricade during a dodgeball game so his team usually won.
THANK YOU for your service to your kids. God will have a special place prepared for people like you.
And yes- parents with children labeled ADD have gotten special social security benefits for their "disabled child"...
The real issue is the school districts and many parents and many in the mental health fields are taking gifted kids, geniuses, and telling them they are not normal, they are disabled and then drugging them into submission- so they will sit quietly all day in school and stare off into space.... challenging no one there.
Of course your child may be the small percentage of those with a real issue.
And I am sure you are a great parent- the problem is that many well meaning , fantastic parents have bought a bill of goods from the so called professionals about all of this ADD and ADHD stuff.
I have an *explosive* child (very intense) who is three and a half years old. He taught himself to read and he reads fluently and is quite taken with classical music and anything to do with numbers- he is very high energy - I have had "teachers" out in the community suggest he is ADD because he will run around like the dickens moving from one task to the other rapidly- and no one can speak with him when he is in his *mode*- HE IS THREE YEARS OLD for Heavens sake-and I understand how a great parent, and involved parent can be manipulated by someone who seems to have the answers-espicially when you are weary.
But they do not always have the answers or even know what the heck they are talking about. I always say that just because someone has a PHD or DR. by their name does NOT always mean they know what they are talking about.
Many times they are guessing, well intentioned even BUT they don't even know your child like you do... Had it not been for my experience working with real disabled children and working with children labeled with ADD before I had children- I may be right where you are... I am telling you there are alternatives over my cold, dead body would I allow my child to be labeled ADD or disabled... and or to be drugged to slow him down. I am just sharing my experiences....
After 27 years, I can say I never laid a hand (or foot) on her. (can't say I was never tempted, there were nights when I left and slept in the car)
Obviously, the question is rhetorical.
gifted kids, geniuses, and telling them they are not normal, they are disabled and then drugging them into submission- so they will sit quietly all day in school and stare off into space
Amd I thought they were just aliens!!! NOW I know their real secret.
Amd???????--&*^&*^&^&^&^&&^&^&^&*(^* keyboard anyways:)
Please tell me that you are not a teacher of any sorts. Your reading comprehension and critical thinking skills are horrible! IT is you who paints a broad brush. I know for a fact you have no idea what the heck you are talking about.. you are just looking for a fight. Try to stay on topic if you can- I am not talking about ALL learning disabilites- I am talking about learning differences and ADD/ADHD/misdiagnoses as a disability and scams in funding by public education. I never mentioned ALL learning disabilities....
You are right, there are lots of factors, but cynicism, focusing on the negative, finding fault, blaming the other guy, and so on are all the rage now. Teachers are convenient to blame things on. I'm not saying all of them are innocent by no means and I am the first to detest those who lessen the profession, but most in my area are dedicated and quality individuals.
I have an added perspective as I live in the neighborhood where I teach. I deal quite easily with most of the criticism, but it's when it morphs into spreading gossip and things that are not true at all that I don't like. The grandma of one of my students said, "Why don't you guys teach phonics?" I said, "We do." She had heard from a neighbor that we didn't even though her grandson had been in my class the year before and had been my best reader, USING phonics. I have scratched my head a time or two wondering where someone got something.
If I had a penny for all the times I haven't gotten my way, then I would be a zillionaire. I rarely, if ever, get my way, but I make the best that I can with the situation and use it as a learning experience
A lot of my dislike for the gossip and such though comes from my OWN perspective of not being able to have a child. I often wish that I HAD the opportunity to complain as some do around here. It's been an 11 year wait so far, but hopefully in a few years I will be able to hold a child of my own in my arms. There won't be a day that will go by without me thanking God for that child. For now, I see how I can best serve others.
As for the school board, I have learned that you can't satisfy everyone ever (even though I'm dumb enough to try). I am lucky that I get direct access to my representative. He is the husband of a city council member. Since I go to city council meetings a lot, I have often had occasion to talk with him about a school issue. He is a pretty solid (in more ways than one:) guy. There are indeed some doofuses out there and if they are on the school board to promote their particular political agenda above everything else, they should indeed be voted out.
I love the parents and students whom I work with. Every year I get blessed. I wonder what purpose God has in store for me because he keeps giving this bumbling idiot so many dang chances.
Nice of you to put ideas that aren't there in my head. Are you an expert on mind control?
Now I know there is a government conspiracy to make those gifted children into zombies, but I think we need to identify the evil agents who are doing this. I think maybe we need to consult with Fox and Mulder.
No I don't think altering the life of a child for profit is funny business and neither does anyone else here it seems who have had to deal directly with the problem. Such should be an individual decision made on a case by case basis by the parents. I sure can't make that decision. Each case is different.
"then I am very sorry for you as a human."
Who said I was human?
Yep, they do.
And once they get that, it opens up the entire Pandora's Box of funds from the government to them and the rest of their parents.
And once they get that, it opens up the entire Pandora's Box of funds from the government to them and the rest of their parents.
They don't here. I think your point is right though.
I never have figured out why that isn't a violation of YOUR child's classroom rights.
I read an article in Reader's Digest once about a family in Kentucky who had six kids on it; the whole family existed on the money.
I am the oldest of eight children. We didn't have things like cable TV and video game systems (even though they were widely available), but we had what we needed, even though we didn't always get what we wanted. I shake my head at what we complain about nowadays like my neighbor who was almost in tears that they couldn't take 4 vacations this year. I take 1 vacation a year and that's to go back home to see my family. I never had my own room, but there's a LOT of people here who will move if one of their children do not. The people we bought our house from moved because it was getting too crowded with 7 people in 5 bedrooms.
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