Should we write a book. I once had a second grade teacher tell me my
son could not read. (Of course she did not ask her best friend across
the hall who had taught him 1st grade and knew he read above grade
level) When I pulled out a book he was reading. The low level/high
interest version (middle school) of The Three Musketeers I opened it
and he started to read pronouncing the French names. She said he must
have memorized it. He continued to read and told her what the story
was about and how he had to call his Godfather to find out how to say
the French words. He had been in her class for 3 months and refused to
read at circle time. She never called me and when I asked, saw her
everyday, she said he was fine. For spelling she had them practice
dictation spelling sentences. He memorized the sentences as one
word. He hated her class. She said he had problems he said she bored
him. We went on and on all day. He finally asked me why did she cry
after she talked to me. I didn't know she cried. And he was in
private school.
On Jun 14, 2009, at 4:40 PM, Joy wrote:
And the stories do not all have a happy ending. Many of you know the
story about my son, who is now 24. He had a right temporal brain
tumor, which was successfully removed. He was second in his class,
an honor student with 2 part time jobs, manager of the football
team, band member, good citizen of his school. He didn't want to
give up his standing, and insisted on going right back to school,
probably a little too early.
He was on quite a cocktail of anti-seizure, anti-inflammatory, anti-
depressants, and pain meds. The school held an IEP/504 meeting where
I was told my son was on drugs (no kidding, they all implied that he
was on illicit drugs!) and was falling asleep in class (duh, he had
a doctor's note explaining it would happen.) They yanked him out of
regular classes, sending him to the alternative school. He completed
a 15 hour class in a half day, and aced the exit exam. Their
solution, make him do word associations for the rest of the term. We
asked could he start another class, and they wouldn't hear it
(something about seat time) I asked what about just letting him take
the other class for enrichment, no way.
Plus, they had no one who could teach him advanced calculus II, or
French.
Long story short, they dropped him from the rolls without telling
us. He went to school one day, and they said "What are you doing
here, you're not enrolled any longer." so my son is an involuntary
drop out. We looked into filing a law suit, but I was advised
against it since I worked for the school system. He lost all respect
for education, thinks it's a waste, won't get his GED or Adult HS
Diploma, forget going to college. So I have a 24 yr old with a 180
IQ who sits at home all day playing Warcraft. Tell me about falling
through the cracks, my son was swallowed.
Joy/NC/4
How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and
content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org
----- Original Message ----
From: Renee <phoenix...@sbcglobal.net>
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
>
Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 5:40:26 PM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] ***SPAM*** Re: Do we really need to teach
explicitstrategies?
Wow.
Here we are.... teachers.... discussing our own children trying to
survive school.
Think about that.
Renee
On Jun 14, 2009, at 1:56 PM, Ljackson wrote:
Some people lack a grand scheme of anything., IMO. His old 4/5
teacher, now the math coach and among the coolest people I know,
called him to tell him he knew all along that there was something
really special about the way his brain worked. Had lots of examples
of brilliant, successful artists and musicians with similar issues,
and painted the picture in glowing and positive terms--how thinking
outside the boz is what makes him who he is and puts him a unique
position to succeed in very non-traditional ways. One look at my
son, with his bleach-tipped hair dipping over one eye and his funky
clothing choice tells me he was right, but hearing it from a
teacher he (we!!) adored made all the difference in the world.
And Isaac wants to be an artist/photographer/teacher, so he can use
his understanding of how to understand differently to tremendous
creative advantage--if he can survive high school. ;-=)
Lori Jackson
----- Original message -----
From: Renee <phoenix...@sbcglobal.net>
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:59 PM
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] ***SPAM*** Re: Do we really need to teach
explicitstrategies?
And I also have an adult son, 32, a professional musician with a
very
high IQ, whose spelling and handwriting are just about the most
atrocious I have ever seen. Spelling is sooooo unimportant in the
grand
scheme of things.
Renee
On Jun 14, 2009, at 10:41 AM, Jan Sanders wrote:
Wow Lori, I want to respond, but don't know what to say. It
truly is
our
personal experiences that lead us to understanding -in reading and
life.
My oldest son (29) who has a very high IQ, can not spell
correctly to
save
his life, and it is difficult to read his writing.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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"Sometimes it's a little better to travel than to arrive."
~ Robert Pirsig
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