tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post5406007502005087462..comments2024-02-27T05:33:37.346-08:00Comments on He's the Weird Teacher: Unintentional Intimidation (OR Da Squish Sees an Expert)The Weird Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865409578314612808noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post-88549575876153315592016-05-17T17:43:27.286-07:002016-05-17T17:43:27.286-07:00Being a parent and teacher, sometimes it's har...Being a parent and teacher, sometimes it's hard to know if what we are seeing is really what we are seeing because, well, we see a lot and it's hard to know if this is just something that is a hangover from being with students all day long. Our 4th daughter and 4th son -( we have eight in total - 4 girls followed by 4 boys) - are both speech delayed. It took us a long time to get a diagnosis for our daughter, Central Auditory Processing Delay is what I think is the official diagnosis. With my son, it's only been speech delays and issues but now there is concern about his reading, which is somewhat ironically since all 7 of his siblings are readers, my wife and I read but he's "not making the standard progress" which is somewhat hysterical because he can tell stories like a darn, draws, builds robots from all sorts of items, adds and does math like a boss and, well, I digress. <br />For years my wife, who is a French Immersion Special Education Teacher, and I had to work at making sure there were supports for our daughter that were followed up on - she doesn't track well from board to paper, so note-taking was an issue and her fine-motor skills were weak thus, in combination with the tracking issue, meant that her notes were more like a horror story than anything resembling notes. We had to insist that she not be made to stay in at recess to finish notes and other things. In the end, with a great deal of consistent insistence, she graduated with honours but it required a number of "accommodations" and an insistence that there are many ways to show what you know and to demonstrate understanding. <br />As an administrator who has sat in on many IEP meetings, my experience has been very helpful in being able to discuss different/difficult situations with parents, especially some parents who were reluctant or weren't ready for the process and has helped me to be more aware of the myriad of differences and their implications for children and their learning. <br />In the end, it's about doing what's best for the child and my experience is that most parents just want what's best and, if we work cooperatively, seeking to do what is best, it's much easier to make progress. I know that this experience will help you in ways you haven't even begun to consider, that was my experience anyway. Best of luck to you and your family - enjoy your journey, it's an amazing wondrous adventure! kellywchrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00811167643423355223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post-1395648636393146322016-05-15T19:13:35.718-07:002016-05-15T19:13:35.718-07:00It's so weird that you think you have empathy,...It's so weird that you think you have empathy, and then you realize you still don't know.The Weird Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409036328788408352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post-71037852041127657662016-05-15T18:14:50.244-07:002016-05-15T18:14:50.244-07:00We kept waiting for "things" to shake ou...We kept waiting for "things" to shake out for our younger son. They didn't. We spent a few years trying to find the best way to help him. We couldn't. Once he was diagnosed with a learning disability...and he may be dyslexic, they said...we thought we were done with all of that. Nope. As a teenager he experienced depression and such anxiety that he's been diagnosed with OCD. Today he is a working adult. Happy, healthy. Better adjusted than I. He knows who he is. He loves who he is. Having that sweet boy in my life has not only made me a better teacher - it's made me a better person. I listen to parents ...and what they're not saying. I pay close attention to kids. The other side of the desk is scary - but all of my "big learns" have been scary at first too. Well done, both of your for listening to your hearts and your heads. ❤️Natalie Chouleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06456641815047899353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post-31376903972097881222016-05-15T14:25:35.500-07:002016-05-15T14:25:35.500-07:00Thank you so much for humanizing this dilemna. I ...Thank you so much for humanizing this dilemna. I have never had to be on "the other side of the table" but knowing you, and knowing your weirdly awesome teaching skills, it makes it clear to me that our super-spidey teacher senses are wonderful for helping to understand, but not enough to know. I will bring another level of empathy with me at the next IEP meeting I conduct.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16343113451851501354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post-15506107606425897782016-05-15T09:46:41.942-07:002016-05-15T09:46:41.942-07:00Thank you for sharing, this is a wonderful comment...Thank you for sharing, this is a wonderful comment and look at the other side. I'm sorry it took so long to get the help your kids needed. I had the same worry going in.The Weird Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409036328788408352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1685637550786185567.post-56260320773992826462016-05-15T09:34:15.431-07:002016-05-15T09:34:15.431-07:00As a teacher AND a parent of two children (of thre...As a teacher AND a parent of two children (of three) on the autism spectrum, I remember taking our middle child to be evaluated for her language at age 2(ish) because she spoke what my husband and I lovingly called "baby gibberish." I spoke with my pediatrician, expressed our concerns, got the eval recommendation and showed up at my local school for a speech eval. My middle child walked into the room, smiled sweetly at the speech language pathologist, pointed to a knickknack, and stated, "THAT is a merry go round. It is also called a carousel. The horses go up and down..." and proceeded to give a five minute diatribe on the knickknack, its purpose and describe it in vivid detail. The speech language pathologist looked at me like I was certifiable, stated that there was no language delay, and glared at me for basically wasting her time (it was summer after all). As soon as my child and I hit the sidewalk to walk the 1/4 mile home, the baby gibberish began again, and I had a VERY strong desire to return to the school, point to my child and say, "I'm NOT crazy! Listen to this!" The child wasn't diagnosed on the spectrum for another five years; the second child was diagnosed with eighteen months after the first. It took years of me repeating over and over that there was something not quite right for someone to listen and it nearly killed middle child's desire to attend school... but that is a post for another day.<br />My point? Thank goodness you listened to your inner voice and so did your wife and you acted now. I'm glad your Weirdling #2 is getting the help that is needed and the interventions. Lindsay Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04830072455623266596noreply@blogger.com