Feeling a little frustrated this week....
Granted I am probably not the most tolerant, missing B like crazy - 2 more sleeps til he is home *smile*
Now I have told you before A is studying Italian this year and is doing simply amazing things. However when he has to listen to a pre-recorded piece of someone speaking in Italian, he finds that by the time he has interpreted what he thought he heard, he has missed the next bit.
So we had discussed the notion of having someone read from a transcript then he could hear and lip read to help make the listening part easier and give him equal access to that of his hearing peers.
I spoke to the person who liaises with the external examination people and he didn't think it was an issue as we were not giving A an unfair advantage over his hearing peers, simply ensuring that he had the best chance to hear and understand what was being said.
I saw A's Italian teacher the other day and raised it with him. I was a little non-plussed I have to say. His feeling was that A was doing so well, within the top 2 in his class on the last test, that we shouldn't be making changes just yet, lets just see how he goes. Well he hadn't really read and understood what we were even asking for, as he was talking about it becoming a written comprehension test when it was still going to be oral/aural anyway!!! I kind of felt like he was just saying that because maybe doing things differently was going to be an issue.
My first reaction was to bolt down to the special ed teacher's office and talk to her BUT I didn't. I waited until I could speak to A about it. I asked him his thoughts, and he wants a transcript and a person to read it to him.
I went home and spoke to hubby about it, I was actually quite steamed! This kid has made it to senior school with virtually no accomodations apart from teachers wearing his FM. He isn't looking for an easy ride here, his teachers know him and know he works hard and puts his best effort in ALWAYS!! Yet when he actually asks for something, there is this resistance because "he is doing so well".
YEAH but how about how damn hard he is having to work compared to his hearing peers on that one!! How about the fact he works extra hard all day every day listening in his daily environment to such a brilliant level that his teachers mostly forget he even has a hearing loss. BUT when it comes to one of his teachers having to do something a bit differently, I get, hmm lets not rush into making changes???? I think not!
So today I went to have a chat with the special ed teacher and voiced my concerns. End result we will plan a meeting at the beginning of the new year with everyone involved and get what A needs on the table and in place for him for the start of his school year next year.
Honestly I am still a little surprised that doing too well can work against you - but it seems like sometimes it does - unless of course you happen to have a mum that is a pushy b*tch! *smile*
2 comments:
I'm at the airport waiting to get on the plane to Sydney!!!!
I went through that EXACT same issue in high school with my French teacher. Even though I already had accommodations requested for the listening section on my IEP and my teacher was good about accommodating for a good part of my high school years, there were still numerous occasions when she REFUSED to accommodate simply because I was doing too well. There was even one point when I had to "YELL" at her in front of the whole class because she was FORCING me to put the headphones on and answer the questions. So, your son is not alone! Teachers like his Italian teacher and my French teacher just simply don't understand that we work harder than they may realize.
WOO HOOO on count down now til you get here - very exciting.
I agree that most of the teachers have no clue how hard you guys work every day and equally you like my son don't go about asking for accommodations just because you can, you only ask when it is really needed.
Post a Comment