You guys are gathered around a table for a school meeting of a student that struggles. Maybe they have a intellectual disability or a behavior issue but you are about to meet with that student and their families to talk about the upcoming school year. I am that bad student. I was the one no one wanted to teach. I was "the hardest student I had ever had to teach". I am now that adult who is hardest to teach. I have been those meetings and boy they are not fun.
Can I ask you guys around the table for a favor. Can you please remember that every person has both a good and bad side to them. Can you please remember that students like me are not future inmates or horrible people headed nowhere. We are more then IQ scores or how inteligble our speech is.
Can I remind you that their is no alternative to inclusive education. It is the law for a reason No research has found that segregation what you guys call " a program" or " special day class" is a better option even for those with serve disabilities. LRE says that students like me should be educated for the most amount of time among peers who do not have disabilities using the rights supports and services and if all the supports fail first then is it ok to remove to a more restrictive environment That is the law. No one should have to prove that they are worthy of an education and everyone learns at a different pace.
Dear people at the other end at a table in an IEP meeting. Before you start , please look into the parents and child eyes. Everyone has a story. The parents probably have experienced a lot of heartache over their disabled child. Most people do not want a disabled family member and it is quite possible that there was a time when the child was small that they cried for their child's future. You may be able to go home and back to your lives , but the child's parents have to see the child that night. Please make it easy for them to see their child that night. If all you do is remind said parents that there child is rude and disruptive. They will have to go home and become the cop to the child. This will undoubtly make the student self esteem suffer immensely which will lead to more bad behavior and their believing that they are bad people.
Instead of calling it bad behavior why not say" Jimmy is confused by the social new-ounces of classroom life. Can we all work together to try to teach him social skills so he can get along in life." It is a lack of skill not bad behavior. Students are not bad if they do not understand an Algebra concept, nor should they be called bad if they do not understand how to behave in class.
One last thing. No one has a crystal ball so try not to predict the future thanks.
Sincerely
A young person that lacks social skills, and
has a strong love of learning.
image urlhttp://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/communication/meeting/clip-art-meeting-532273.jpg
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