Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f55EDpf07816; Tue, 5 Jun 2001 10:13:51 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 10:13:51 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3B1CE83F.C7D7A0@ellijay.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Art LaChance <arthur@ellijay.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:3468] Re: FW: Humiliating Awards Ceremony at Sc X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) Status: O Content-Length: 6459 Lines: 125 Bingo, C Rahe, In an afternoon reading help program that lasted over five years, for 1st through 6th graders, we found exactly the same thing. Convince the child they were "OK", well beyond a reasonable doubt (read as top priority). Find the problem with their reading. Fix it. Send them back to school to succeed. Over and over again. Behavior problems, LD characteristics, ADD, most in the process of official diagnosis as LD. And most of them ended up on the "Most Improved" list. And you know what, the award didn't really matter to the child. What mattered to the child was that they were "OK". As soon as they realized that we were genuine and we knew they were OK, they began to perform, payed attention, did their work, learned, made mistakes, the whole enchilada. My question is why do they have to go to an outside source to get that done? Now I know that there's about seven parts to the answer to the question, beginning with classroom crowding, and probably ends with teachers are not trained as psychologists. But why are we here anyway? For us or for them? If we're here for them, we'd better figure out what the problem is and get it fixed. Because in the long run, it's going to cost us a lot more money and effort to compensate for the inadequacies of the current system. Art Art LaChance Gilmer Learning Center Ellijay, GA raheco@speced.doe.state.in.us wrote: > Greetings: It appears many of you are describing a supportive > confirmation Vs a show of public recognition. I learned a lot about > that when I was teaching in an elementary school resource/special > education program. Coming into the school as a somewhat experienced > teacher, but new to the school, I had a second-grader on my class list > who was described in alarming terms - from the top of his 3-foot-high > head to the tips of his pointed cowboy boots - which he loved to use > for kicking adults. I started a program which included sending him to > the principal whenever I could find something to praise him for on a > photo-copied certificate. The principal was instructed to only give > him verbal praise, sign the certificate, and send it home since I > wanted the child to learn to seek out and enjoy approval for his > school-related activities. Several times the embarrassed principal > had to admit that he couldn't control the urge to give out a pencil or > fancy stickers while holding this little guy on his lap. He had not > seen the child in his office before except when sent there - > frequently - for punishment. Over the year I came to realize that the > child made a big turn-around in his behavior as a result of the > positive personal acknowledgments, but a big surprise bonus was seeing > the principal also came to know and support the program I was > developing as a result of being included in the positive support of a > child. > Maybe what kids want is somebody to whisper in their ears the > recognition that they are trying to do well, and the forgiveness that > allows each day the child enters the room to begin with a fresh slate > and a friendly smile. I could tell you about the reactions of high > school students when they were told in private that a learning > disability is not the same as mental retardation and that their IQ > scores showed their potentials are AHEAD of other average kids in ___ > areas. There's nothing like seeing that you scored well in something > - but say it in private. While they seemed to appreciate the support > of my program, the only way I ever came to see that kids with learning > disabilities welcomed other kids into their resource room was when a > particularly difficult to motivate student "got to" teach ME to weld > during his lunch break if he worked diligently on his academics during > my class. My practice welds were left on my desk so the guys and > their friends could come in during lunch break to check out my latest > efforts. I noticed that they pointed out the good sections along with > a discussion of which sections needed a slower or faster touch-- > pretty good examples for us adults of what we should be doing! I also > remember that the most enthusiastic support for my programs came from > the students themselves and their parents, and colleagues who shared > in the efforts to develop a means of meeting a student's needs. And, > when I think about it, maybe it was also the fact that by sharing my > crude welding efforts, this teacher seemed a little less perfect and a > little more "normal." Forgive me if this seems rambling, but I think > I learned a lot from kids. > > C. Rahe , Ed Consultant/Parent of Child with Special Life/Teacher > Division of Spc Ed > > ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ > Subject: [NIFL-LD:3463] Re: FW: Humiliating Awards Ceremony at School > Author: <nifl-ld@nifl.gov> at INTERNET > Date: 6/4/2001 4:36 PM > > Art's experience with his nomination of an adult student for a state award > should certainly make us stop and think about what we are doing. We want to > recognize the good achievement that a student has made by nominating them > for an award such as this, but here in Wisconsin we have another motive as > well. We want to use these awards for publicity for our programs--so that > we can bring our programs and our achievements to the attention of the > legislators, the governor, and any other funding organizations so that we > can assure funding for our programs. We have to be careful that in making > these nominations we are not doing more harm than good for our students. > > Jan Gordon > Literacy Council of Wood County > Marshfield, WI > > Art wrote: > > About six years ago, I nominated an adult student for a state award. She > was > eliminated in the third round of interviews. Two weeks later she finally > returned to the center to tell me, in tears, how sorry she was that she > didn't > win, for me. That was the last time I saw her. She was crushed, and nothing > I > was able to do or say could take away her pain. > > I don't hate many things, but I truly hate awards programs. > > > Art > > > Art LaChance > Gilmer Learning Center > Ellijay, GA > > >
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