klmno
Active Member
I thought some more about this and my life and difficult child's. In my life, I remember the good teachers that made a difference for me- a real difference. And many times it could be by saying something simple to me- like that I had God-given talent in a certain area. My grades shot up after that! And one- a science teacher in junior high school- she just seemed down-to-earth and "real" and not into trying to intimadate or threaten kids into doing what they were supposed to. She made a real difference ini my life, too.
With difficult child, he had a few horrible teachers in elementary school and his princip[al there was a vindictive, incompetent witch who had NO business working in a school much less being a principal. I have thought many times that she very well might have been the reason that the teachers handled things so incompetently.
But in difficult child's middle school, in spite of one asst principal who was clueless and made things worse but is no longer there, difficult child had a great principal (tough love approach- used to work in a Department of Juvenile Justice school), a teacher's aid in a collaborative class, and a teacher who taught him accelerated math/was on his IEP team/was married to a judge in the juvenile courts. These three people turned difficult child around at school (not completely as a difficult child obviously) within one year. It was the teacher who wore many hats foremost and he already says he wants to go by and say hello to her when he's released from Department of Juvenile Justice. It was his principal secondly. These people put in the time to butt heads with me at IEP meetings and we struggled through many debates, but we worked things out and were willing to try different things because we had the common goal of trying to help difficult child and get him on a better track. The teacher who wore many hats- well, she went above and beyond that and really has a knack for kids who don't fit into a box. But more than anything, she really liked difficult child and "got" him, and he really likes her because of it.
Others have already posted this EW, but you can't always see the results of your efforts. With difficult child, if it hadn't been for that teacher with the help of others, I would be sitting here preparing myself for him to quit school long vefore he ever reaches his senior year in high school.
I know you know- you can't save or help all of them. But your diligent efforts go farther than you know. Still, I'm sure it is a very frustrating job many, many days. By the time these kids are a senior it's pretty tough for anyone to get anything thru those thick heads. LOL! But I wonder if maybe a couple of your students really do want to learn and just feel out-numbered or almost pressured if the majority in your class are real hard-heads.
With difficult child, he had a few horrible teachers in elementary school and his princip[al there was a vindictive, incompetent witch who had NO business working in a school much less being a principal. I have thought many times that she very well might have been the reason that the teachers handled things so incompetently.
But in difficult child's middle school, in spite of one asst principal who was clueless and made things worse but is no longer there, difficult child had a great principal (tough love approach- used to work in a Department of Juvenile Justice school), a teacher's aid in a collaborative class, and a teacher who taught him accelerated math/was on his IEP team/was married to a judge in the juvenile courts. These three people turned difficult child around at school (not completely as a difficult child obviously) within one year. It was the teacher who wore many hats foremost and he already says he wants to go by and say hello to her when he's released from Department of Juvenile Justice. It was his principal secondly. These people put in the time to butt heads with me at IEP meetings and we struggled through many debates, but we worked things out and were willing to try different things because we had the common goal of trying to help difficult child and get him on a better track. The teacher who wore many hats- well, she went above and beyond that and really has a knack for kids who don't fit into a box. But more than anything, she really liked difficult child and "got" him, and he really likes her because of it.
Others have already posted this EW, but you can't always see the results of your efforts. With difficult child, if it hadn't been for that teacher with the help of others, I would be sitting here preparing myself for him to quit school long vefore he ever reaches his senior year in high school.
I know you know- you can't save or help all of them. But your diligent efforts go farther than you know. Still, I'm sure it is a very frustrating job many, many days. By the time these kids are a senior it's pretty tough for anyone to get anything thru those thick heads. LOL! But I wonder if maybe a couple of your students really do want to learn and just feel out-numbered or almost pressured if the majority in your class are real hard-heads.