anyone want to take a crack at helping this "teacher"

[mzteris]

understand her student?? Maybe let her know how it feels to be "that kid" - and most especially how it feels to have a teacher who not only doesn't "get you", but makes NO attempt to understand you, and - in fact - actively DISLIKES you!


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=219x13413


:nuke:

[liberalhistorian]

1. OMG, that is disgusting! I left some choice

words on that thread. It really infuriates me to see teachers like this, and I have, unfortunately, dealt with them as both a student, with my learning disability, and with my aspie son. Thanks for posting, I hope I set her at least somewhat straight.

[mzteris]

2. the sad thing is

not only doesn't SHE see what's wrong, but most of the posters don't, either. :(

I get that "most" teachers are wonderful, but people really don't understand how some teachers may SEEM wonderful - with their "regular" students, but be simply awful with special needs kids (of any stripe and from either end of the scale!)

[Odin2005]

3. Teachers like that OP are part of what made wchool hell for me.

I as constantly berated for being "too anal and picky".

[mzteris]

4. and she's been teaching for 20 years!

Imagine the horror she's inflicted on countless students!

But I bet most people think she's a "wonderful" teacher. :banghead:

[Kajsa]

6. That's the sad story!

Unless very skilled Special Ed. teachers
( with seniority) call her on it,

she will no doubt stay on as a teacher.

:(

[merwin]

9. I don't think they covered Aspergers/Autism when she went through school.

And they most likely haven't covered it since. The horrible part is the that the teachers aren't being taught what to look out for. She immediately latched on to the probability of the kid being on the spectrum when it was brought to her attention by various responses, which shows a willingness to learn... shows she actually cares. To me, that is the best kind of teacher there is. Did you also miss the part where she spent the past 2 years as the only one trying to help him in the first place?

[mzteris]

10. aren't teachers supposed to

have "continuing education"?

Ignorance is no excuse in my book.

"She immediately latched on to the probability of the kid being on the spectrum when it was brought to her attention by various responses, which shows a willingness to learn.."

noooooo - i think it showed a willingness to look for a reason to excuse her own behaviour.

I bet she "helped" him - ducking into bathrooms, refusing to make eyecontact, not talking to his parents, not asking the kid - WHY do you keep asking about your grades. Not talking with the school counselor about the kid, getting him help since it appears he wasn't getting any . . .

nope - she gets absolutely NO slack from me in her treatment of this kid. It's teachers like her that make the lives of "quirky kids" a living hell.

[Kajsa]

5. You guys nailed it!

Love, love your responses!

I could not say it better.

I did notice that the posts ended with your posts though!

:)- little wonder.

Thanks all of you, for posting this thread and for nailing the
ignorance!

I'm a teacher and a mom.
My son, 25, has HS autism.

Thank You!

:applause:

[SuperWonk]

7. Way to go everyone!

Man that really hurts to hear when a teacher says that, so I'm glad we were able to set them straight. Of this isn't the only time; this kind of neglect happens all too often.

I've been working with Special Olympics lately, and found these useful resources you can offer to teachers who need a point in the right direction on why and how to include students of all intellectual abilities in their classroom. http://www.specialolympics.org/schools_and_youth.aspx

I’ve been finding lots of teachers are open to the lesson plans and activities the website can provide for them and their students. Maybe we can use this next time something like this comes up?

[merwin]

8. It seems this particular teacher just needed a lesson in the signs of

Aspergers/Autism. I would be exhausted and massively frustrated if I was trying everything I could to get through to someone and just couldn't seem to succeed. There's a lot of anxiety and feelings of failure when you spend that much time with someone and don't make any headway at all. However, the willingness to run with the idea of getting him diagnosed shows someone who truly does care.

[Kajsa]

11. Thanks so much for the link, SuperWonk.

That is a great resource to have.

:)