Thursday, May 21, 2009
little milestones
My summer school group has a non-reader. I don't want to say disrespectful things about my fellow teachers, but it's pretty shameful that his previous teacher has done nothing to get this boy any additional help. Instead he placated the boy's grandmother by telling her the student was doing better. Like hell! This 9 year old who is already one year behind is going into 3rd grade not able to read "peg the red hen". I am trying to do the best I can by having him practice with a wonderful phonics, reading program online, but what he really needs is one-on-one instruction and i can work about 20 minutes a day. I cannot pair him with more advanced reader, because i'm afraid it would be really humiliating for him. The classroom is really small and it is obvious for everyone who is doing well and who is not. Perhaps I should pair him off with a girl from my 3rd grade who was where he is now in the beginning of the 2nd grade, but now eventhough she is seriously behind, she is able to read independently. But the question remains as to how can a teacher live with himself, knowing he did nothing to help this boy. This teacher is highly popular with students and parents, because he is Latino, young and peppy. Parents just drink his Cool-Aid and have no clue, how far behind their children are falling through crappy instruction. How can I be so sure he did nothing? We have a wonderful reading specialist who works with students who have learning disabilitities. The jerk of a lazy teacher could have asked her to see the struggling boy informally, as she would have. Meanwhile the lazy, yet charismatic teacher is on his way to becoming an administrator. Time to take a nap.
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Sometimes some people just cannot see underneath the superficial image/front that one portrays. It is unfortunate that now you have to bear the consequences reaped by an irrresponsible, nonresponsive teacher who did not get the student the help he obviously needs. So as of now, is the student receiving help from the reading specialist? Also, when parents or the student's guardian grandparent (in this case) do not read with their children at home, it's quite difficult for them to even realize that their child is not reading at the level that they should. I don't think parents should completely put the responsibility of teaching children on the shoulders of the teachers; that we as parents need to also be accountable to a degree as to how we could teach children at home and foster a desire for learning.
ReplyDeleteHow aggravating! I don't really know what you should do. Might you discretely tell the charismatic, lazy teacher that you think he's messing up in this case? He might shape up just a little if he knows someone has noticed. Maybe not though. Difficult. I agree with Rofucius. Parents/guardians should not believe everything teachers say about their children. They should double check by being as involved as they possibly can.
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