Adelaide - as usual you nailed it - I am very gratefull for your comments - they are insightful and helpful. All day I have been writing this post in my head - I think it answers one of your questions:
Hannah's teacher says something like "I'll be honest with you, without someone there right by her side to help her she can't do the work." Later on she says that Thurs yes after a sleepless night I decided to get started on dealing with this so I sat in on the class instead of going to work...I was sick with a cold anyways so it seemed a reasonable thing to do) We are chatting - and she says that this is the first time that Hannah has sat at her desk with her peers for morning instruction - and that she did so because I was in the room! Mind you - that desk was in the back row with the boy next to Hannah swinging on his chair and Hannah who wouldn't have been able to see a thing anyway playing with the pencil case of thick pencils I packed as part of my plan to get her sitting in the one spot. I suggested that she put Hannah up the front as there was no way that other spot was going to work. She then said but the smart board is at the other side of the room and the 'back row' becomes the front row when she does maths on it. I responded that perhaps Hannah could sit on the floor on her green mat for maths - much closer to the board too!
The teacher went over the kids 5 spelling words. They sounded them out and spelt them. Then the teacher chose volunteers to write one of the words on the whiteboard. Hannah was oblivious. No wonder - the teacher did nothing to include her - so when I had a chance I suggested that she give Hannah a chance - let her have a go at writing an easy word on the whiteboard sometimes too. Add help if she needed it and praise her for trying. I didn't mention it then but if it is too hard perhaps she could get another child to model it on the whiteboard and then get Hannah to copy underneath - the other kids would love to 'help' I am sure.
Beforehand I chatted to brightspark Cs mum - she was happy with my idea and so even though I didn't get to mention it (didn't want to be too over the top and pushy!) I will try and mention it in the coming weeks. Cs Mum actually said how she had a friend whose bright girl was coupled with a student with learning difficulties and it worked very well - because yes it means the brightspark keeps interested and motivated instead of being bored.
So what is my conclusion? I need this teacher to take responsibility for Hannah. It is her with the deficit not Hannah's deficits that are the issue at the moment. She hasn't taught a child like Han before and is still getting her head around the 'cute little redhead' and the smart little bugger that I know my daughter is. Too much handholding not enough laying down the options.
For example- Hannah's bag - I asked her int he morning about why it wasn't outside the room like everyone else. I told her I want her to leave it outside the same as the other children - and that I would be up to check on it later that morning. When I got to the room - her bag was outside. Her lunch was on a table near it. I mentioned this tot he teacher who said that she had put the lunch back in Hannah's bag but that Hannah insisted on it being out...I felt like pulling out my hair and yelling SHE'S SIX!!!!!! but I didn't I said that in kindy lunch went inside the room so we just needed to let her know that in Year 1 lunch stays in our bag. When I asked Hannah what grade she was in she said 'kindy' - this is very unusual as she is so proud of being in Year 1. I wonder if she is worried she will go back to kindy - she has perhaps noticed that she is being let sit at the back far too often and overlooked in the 'work' of the class. Anyways lunchboxes now stay in her bag and I know we will get there...or bust.
The teacher is attending a NSW DSA inservice so I am praying that Jill and Judy do their usual magic.
I hope so too.
ReplyDeleteIf Hannah's ears were getting much worse (and I think over the term, over the year: especially winter when the work is heavy and hard!), I would have suggested a school for the hearing-impaired or at least services for same.
(Elysia did so well there! Aileen's daughter from HANDS CAN TALK).
And, yes, placement is so very very important! Especially sitting at the front. Being near the window or the door is very important. And I did think about the back.
Hingsburger has some good words about offering versus respecting choices. And a music therapist who I very much respect, Roia, has talked about how "no" is a choice too.
In the classroom people will be more likely to respect it and less likely to steal things, especially if there is valuable material. It's the last step before the lockers.
And Hingsburger is learning so much from his cold and sharing it with all of us.
Yay for "in spite of spite!"
You know how scattergun I can be.
Who's to think that C won't pick it up before her Mum.
(Have been reading Mail Online about a girl genius called Victoria Cowie who wants to be a vet. Now think who works in the actual vetenenary clinics, tending the animals in the shelter).
And with the weather so extreme...bad food and airbourne germs...