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we have IEP as well... we usually don't have those as early as Kindergarden. Typically they would have a GEI (General Education Intervention) first and due to health problems she might have an OHI (Other Health Impairment). Under the current Indiana law, it would be impossible to have an IEP until numerous interventions have been tried (so I just didn't go there).

 

There could always be an information flow issue. How aware is the teacher of Jenna's needs? The teacher might be appreciative of input about what works and doesn't work with Jenna at home.

I don't get the whole thing about your ex not talking to the person bringing Jenna out. Is he listed as a contact they have permission to talk to?

 

+1 on that, JoAnna. I taught elementary school for 35+ years and there is no "one size fits all" answer for the child, the parent, or the teacher. A private face to face meeting is so important if you can manage it.

Obviously, I do not know the circumstances as to why you have not met your daughter's teacher but it is as important for you to meet Jenna's teacher as it is for the teacher to meet you. You both need to be able to speak honestly, and without confrontation, to work up a plan for Jenna's needs. Then, through follow-up letters, e-mails, telephone contact, or other face to face meetings, make sure that the teacher and you are on the same page.

I wish your daughter every success in her education.

 

I have learned that "what does that mean?" is a very useful question. I don't mean that flippantly. In my line of work there's a lot of "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" kind of talk where a lot of things go unsaid. "What does that mean?" stops that nonsense dead. From what you say here, I would guess that that is exactly what is happening. Make people define terms until you're satisfied.

And for the record, a five year old laughing at their own defiant behavior is normal, in my book. My son (who is 3) does it and I don't see that completely disappearing by the time he's 5. So that behavior's normal- but I'm guessing this is one of those "lots of things unsaid" statements that need definition.

The "conferring" statement definitely falls into the "needs definition" category. Way too cryptic to be useful. I'd open a can on them.

 

same here in Texas

very, very powerful question, when used properly

2 observations, from an idiot (me, of course):

- it's already been stated, but "normal" teachers aren't fully prepared to deal with special needs children. are they capable of doing so? probably. is it difficult to have 1 or 2 special needs included in a class of non-special needs? yes. my wife has had at least 1 special needs child every year she's taught (this is tenth year), one year having 4, and the only year she had only 1 it was a full-on autism child. very sweet kids, very teachable and capable, but they require a lot of attention...and so do the other kids.
I find myself in favor of a partial inclusion schedule, but then, I'm also in favor of a schedule where every 6 or 9 weeks, the classes are arranged so the the top students are in a class together, the middle are together, and the lower are together - distributed by their scores of the previous semester. Yeah, I know there's issues, but a class-full of your highest attaining students is severely limited by one student that doesn't give a rip. That's the main thing we're missing here from other countries that our national education folks miss - they want to compete with other countries, but they want to overburden the teachers with crap to the point that they can't do the job they're supposed to do, and are too concerned with hurting somebody's stinkin' feelings to make the kids earn their grades...oops, sorry, little rant there that's quite off-topic :ashamed001 (remember, I'm the crazy one...

so, back on topic...definitely use that question Mike mentioned and get the teacher to nail down exactly what is concerning her.
Personally, I don't think taking away the book that the student is to be learning from is appropriate punishment, unless the student is damaging the book somehow, it kinda defeats the purpose of educating.
3 hours is a heckuva long ways, but I definitely think getting the teacher to lay down precise behaviors that "disturb" her will go a long ways. Maybe she's nervous with a special needs child? Not sure what's appropriate or not? I dunno.

I don't think any of that was worth 2 cents...except the question part...maybe...*ramble-ramble-bacon-ramble-coffee-ramble*

 

JoAnna's most recent thoughts about me:

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is that on a shirt? I need it. Heck, my wife'll probably buy it for me.

And my parish will reimburse her.

 

yeup

 

I ended up having a bit at home, then went to dinner with my girlfriend and out for coffee before work.
I also have another mini-pot set up to go here at work.
I should be good for the night.

 

JoAnna,

[blather mode on]

You've got some great advice and you're doing the right stuff - asking questions, wondering what the heck any of this means, getting involved - in other words, caring about Jenna enough to stick your nose into all of this.

Both of my kids were called 'special needs' early on, but neither had an IEP or anything that really defined them as such (nor did they really need to be so classified). For the record: my ex and I were divorced when my step daughter was in 6th grade and before my son started kindergarten.

My stepdaughter (29 now) spent part of each day in grades 1-3 with a 'special teacher'. This was mostly just individual help time for her. My son (21 now) had a 'reading teacher' that he saw for about an hour per week during first grade. After that, the schools never considered him to be a 'special needs'. I wish I could have convinced their mom to be interested, even a little bit, in their education, but that was a losing battle from the start. I know they each would have done better with reinforcement coming in from all angles.

So, why'd I tell you all of that? Mainly just to say that the only thing I ever did that helped my kids do well in school was to march my butt in at least once a week and talk with their teachers after school. I did this through elementary school and well into middle school. The schools made it a little harder in middle and high school, but I kept in touch with teachers then through email, supplemented by occasional visits in person (maybe two or three times a year. I always had lunch with my kids at school one day a week, and I knew what they were working on, what their teachers thought, and what they felt about their own education. It let them know that their teachers and I were on the same side (their side).

My advice: keep doing what you're doing. Stay in contact with Jenna's teacher. Get an email address for the teacher and use it. Get a phone number for the teacher and use that too. Don't be a tornado, be a gentle, constant breeze. I know you and your ex are working together and that's great! Jenna will know (I'm sure she already does) that mom and dad care and are involved. That's more important than anything else you could do.

[blather mode off]

 

I've been in a few classes that had 2-3 special needs students in them and an assistant and they seemed to work out nicely as long as the assistant was around so from everything I've seen they help.

 

I think having a social worker/student assistant for kids like Jenna can be really helpful. (No, I'm not a teacher, I don't play one on TV, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night ).

One of my good friends had a long career as an ASL interpreter for kids in grades 7-12. She was always partnered with one student per term (or sometimes per year) with extra duties assigned as needed (they were stretched thin in her district). I know that she saw herself as an advocate for her students and as a role model. Her students had teachers that were great and teachers that were overly challenged (and everything between). I think it helped her students a lot to have an advocate when they were in classrooms with teachers that were less trained/able/willing to deal with their needs.

 

Since I have nothing to add on the education discussion, I'll just mention that John Moses Browning was easily one of the most amazing inventors/innovators of the last century.
Seems like I can't read or watch anything firearms related without finding some contribution he made to their development.
Truly an exceptional mind. :1respect

 

amen brother.......

 

"yawn" Scratch... morning folks.. just in from work how's the y'all's?

Fuzzy