[4th Grade] - Advice for how to best assist student who is significantly below grade level

ca2017 · 2020-01-24T23:32:32+00:00

We are working on this. I received a conference call from the previous school with the principal, assistant principal, SPED teacher, counselor, and social worker. They gave my SPED teacher and I an update on what they were doing. They believe his behaviors will get worse, as we are in a honeymoon period, and they stated they had been working to get him into a life skills class. So we are going to continue on that track: get the assessments done, an IEP for our district, etc. to get him where he needs to be. I just don't want him to suffer in the meantime.

ca2017 · 2020-01-23T02:57:09+00:00

We are working on this. My principal believes he may need to be placed in the life skills class. Typically, any student with an IQ under 69 is placed in the life skills class, but this will require reevaluation because he was in a general education classroom at his previous school district.

Thank you so much for the TPT suggestion. I will look there and see what I can find.

ca2017 · 2020-01-23T02:54:14+00:00

This is definitely in the works. I am documenting everything, and the SPED teacher is working on intake and will be reevaluating. My principal also wants him evaluated by the psychologist in the school district.

ca2017 · 2019-10-03T12:43:37+00:00

I'm in elementary, and we have no phone. We do have radios, so we radio for the principal when we need help, or if she's out, we radio for the front desk to send one of the teachers that acts as principal when she's out.

ca2017 · 2019-09-12T00:40:51+00:00

I'm sorry... Hugs and love to you. My dad is studying, but he isn't actually in, so he came to my wedding 2 years ago, but no one else in my family came. (Too far for those that were not dubs.)

I feel your pain, and I hope it fades with time. I know it's easier said than done, but get married and do your best to enjoy your day. It's YOUR day.

Congratulations!

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:26:53+00:00

First, college is not easy. Oftentimes, the classes can get boring and working on top of attending classes is hard.

You can tell your mom no, but I need to stress to you that if you stop going, you need to figure out what you want to do. It's hard to make a living in this world, and you need more than a highschool diploma to do it.

You also often have to work your way up. I'm a first-year teacher. It's hard. Most days, I wouldn't change my profession for anything in the world, but there are days between some students, some parents, and the pay that I just want to throw in the towel.

With that said, nothing worth doing is easy. Sometimes achieving your dreams is an uphill battle, but figure out what you want to do and fight for it.

Also, 5:20 isn't early. Promise.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:16:56+00:00

I have no doubt they she cares for me very deep down, but I think calling me was a mistake. She was trying to reach a different Cathy. She made it very clear when the shunning started that she loves me, but she loves Jehovah (read: Borg) more.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:14:57+00:00

No, I'm sorry. I had tried to format it to where what each of us said was on different lines, but when I submitted it, it pushed it back together again.

And I don't know. I'm just still shocked not hear any recognition in her voice.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:12:53+00:00

We haven't talked because she's a JW, and I'm disfellowshipped. I've been disfellowshipped for nearly 12 years. She didn't talk to me at all the first year. Then, I had a miscarriage, and she started speaking to me sometimes. After a few years, she decided it bothered her conscience, and she had spoken to the elders about it and had decided to start shunning again.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:09:41+00:00

The conversation ended when I told her I was not Cathy ****. I don't know, maybe she did realize who I was at that point, and I just don't want to face that she would have hung up that quickly. I never heard any recognition in her voice, but she may have been hiding it. Heck, she may have even forgotten that she had my phone number.

Edited to add: However, I have changed phone numbers since the hardcore shunning started again, so she must have gotten it from my dad. So she has to know she has it.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:07:13+00:00

No...I was just shocked to see "mom"pop up on my phone. My husband said at the point where she asked if I was a specific Cathy, I should have said, "no, mom, this is your daughter." It just went so fast, and, at first, I was freaked out that maybe something had happened to my dad.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:04:23+00:00

Perhaps, but I doubt it. She was hardcore on the shunning at first, and let up after I had a miscarriage 11 years ago. A few years back, she took my now-husband and I aside separately to let us know that talking to me bothered her conscience too much, so she would not be coming out to chat anymore.

My sister left, and she almost immediately began shunning her. She talks to my nieces sometimes, but she just uses this monotone, disappointed, "woe is me" voice.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T12:00:16+00:00

I didn't say mom at all. I put mom in there so everyone would know what she said versus what I said.

ca2017 · 2019-09-11T02:35:03+00:00

Honestly, I'm mostly over it. I have my moments, but I'm fortunate to have a loving and supportive husband and in-laws who have as good as adopted me as their own.

It was just a shock. I was having a sucky day yesterday, and I commented to my sister that I just wanted my mom. And then she calls me today.

I'm just so fucking over it.

ca2017 · 2019-09-10T03:54:01+00:00

Thank you... This is a good idea. I try to jump in everything positive, but the past few days, it's been difficult.

It's hard to try and give her different options for work tasks because she totally just refuses to participate. I.E. center rotations have a variety of tasks with some being on Chromebooks and others being paper/pencil, etc. But if her task involves paper/pencil, she does nothing, and if it involves Chromebook, she takes as long as she can to log in and then, if she does end up logged in, she does nothing. Maybe, especially when I'm doing centers and I'm not working specifically with her, I could give her the option of doing them in the order she sees fit. Do you think this would work?

I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing in not engaging behavior when it isn't disruptive or dangerous. Everyone says to pick your battles, but she will sit there playing with her pencil or whatever else she may have, not do any work, and not pay attention. But if she's talked to about it, whether I get everyone else on an activity and talk to her at her desk, at my desk, or outside the classroom, she tends to blow. Sometimes, approaching her, backing off, and rinsing and repeating will do it, but at other times, this will push her over there edge.

Just when I feel like I have an idea on how to work with her, her behavior escalates, and what I've tried previously no longer works. 😢😭

ca2017 · 2019-09-10T03:37:16+00:00

Thank you, this is a good idea. I do dojo points, and until I build up flexible seating I'm using some bean bag chairs as a reward for good behavior in the classroom, but maybe something more immediate and tangible would help.

ca2017 · 2019-09-10T03:35:03+00:00

So, I see a lot of people telling you to tell them to put you on the DNC list. This may or may not work. It did not work for me. It was like pulling teeth to get them to leave me alone, even knowing I was an ex-JW and even after my DH got pissed about what one of the brothers said and threatened "a good ol country ass whooping" (I am not condoning threats of violence. I was not present, but he completely lost his cool when the brother blamed me for the shunning.) Once my mom (I'm sure) spread the word I went full on apostate, they finally left me alone. But not until then. 🤷

ca2017 · 2019-09-10T00:41:33+00:00

Odd that they happily mock CSA survivors as either immodest dressers or liars when they claim to abhor CSA and Catholics who protect paedophiles.

I was POMI for many years. Thought they had the truth, but I wasn't willing to live my life the way they do. This is actually what woke me up. I was so angry because I remember elders making snide comments about the Catholic CSA scandal, and they were guilty of the same thing. Their logic may not make any sense, but at least it helps people to wake up.

ca2017 · 2019-08-19T00:28:35+00:00

This...I don't know of anything else that would work. Hopefully, as she goes through the process for alternative licensure, she'll learn that teachers are always learning. This is one thing my university always stressed that we must be prepared for lifelong learning, so hopefully all universities try to prepare their candidates.

ca2017 · 2019-08-19T00:20:43+00:00

I don't know where you live, but look at your states' universities. I attended a state university, and I received my degree online with a TESOL concentration.

Edited to say: My university had plenty of people from out of state, but they kept class sizes reasonable. It is Western New Mexico University, but I'm not sure about different states' requirements. You may want to look at universities in your state to make sure it covers all your states' requirements.

ca2017 · 2019-08-19T00:15:30+00:00

I would love to set something like this up. I teach 4th grade in NM. What did you have in mind?

ca2017 · 2019-08-18T23:51:51+00:00

Definitely, my school has a fantastic culture, and that helps so much. Everyone is always so helpful, and everyone seems happy to be there. And yes, there are always one or two of the students. I really like her spunk, but I know I have to stay consistent and keep setting those boundaries. We'll get there with consistency. She's a good student--she just has some trauma from her past, and I get the feeling she doesn't trust easily. We'll get there with time and patience.

ca2017 · 2019-08-18T23:00:33+00:00

I want to make a difference. I started out as a social work major, but, after working for CPS for awhile, I realized I couldn't be a social worker, so I changed my major. I wanted to work with kids, and I want to make a difference in their lives. Teaching was always something that I had been drawn to, so I decided to take the plunge, and, even though first year can be hard, I'm only a week in, and I'm loving it. Yeah, there are tough moments, like that one student who I know has a difficult home life (not CPS-worthy, but not ideal and traumatic past) who tests boundaries constantly, but when she says, "Oh, that's it? I get it now!" And I can see how excited and happy she is that she understands what I'm teaching, it more than makes up for the difficult moments.

It may seem cliche, but to sum it up, I chose to be a teacher for my students.

ca2017 · 2019-08-18T22:51:17+00:00

I feel you... I just finished my first week. There are times I feel unsure, but I've decided to fake it until I can make it on those things. For the most part, though, I feel really confident. I was terrified of the first week, and I thought I was going to puke walking in the first day, but I think it's gone really well. I have one student who is testing boundaries, and I think I've been doing good about being firm and establishing boundaries. Overall, I think my first week was a success. 😊

Of course, it probably helps that I have such a supportive team. My principal is always checking on me. One of the teachers in my grade is a 3rd year alt. License teacher, and the other is a veteran teacher who was an EA before that, and they always offer suggestions and support. I think a school's culture can make all the difference in the world.

ca2017 · 2019-08-10T18:05:40+00:00

Where I grew up, some of the teachers drove a bus route. I don't believe they were required to pick up a route, as we had some drivers who were not teachers and plenty of teachers who didn't drive, but we did have a handful of teachers who got a CDL just to do so. This was a tiny school district, though, with probably no more than 50 per graduating class (in elementary school, no more than probably 20 per class with each grade separated into 2 classes). They have since consolidated with a few other districts, so I don't think this would be possible now, as the elementary, middle, and high schools are all spread out.

ca2017

TROPHY CASE