Guest guest Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 I think I need some perspective from our group. Sammy is 16. He is in High School and they put him this year in a " Life Skills " class. A few months ago I met his teacher and the annual " Back to School " night. Or in my words, " Listen to a few boring speeches' night. Our school system tends to spend 2 hours in the auditorium listening to the superintendent's speech on how great out school is (lowest paid teachers in New Jersey) and 15 minutes we get to spend with the actual teacher. This year my husband and I ducked out of the first part and went straight to the more important part. We basically kidnapped Sammy's teacher and really wanted to get to know what was going on. Firstly, she does not believe in homework. I bypass that philosophy by making him do homework that I make instead. But doesn't anyone else find that strange? She spent so much time telling us about her life skills plans. But there are no academics? She was more interested in asking us if Sammy would like to learn how to make Mashed Potatoes instead of why his reading skills are loosing ground. She has made up a banking game with pretend money and they shop or pretend to take a bus. She went on and on about her pretend world and when I asked about his social skills and his academic studies, she spent all of about a sentence telling us he is doing " ok. " No detail, just " Ok. " I walked out of there feeling like something was missing, something was really wrong but I could not express it. There are 5 kids in her class and she has two full time aides. How hard could it be to give any child in that class better attention? I guess I tried to have faith because his last two teachers were so fantastic I swear that they walked on water. They gave him their attention, their time, their love and it showed. Yesterday Sammy came home with a blank work application to Burger King and the light bulb went off! this teacher is setting up my son for a mediocre life. Minimal skills which I do a heck of a lot better at home with and no knowledge, no joy, no variety. Her lack of imagination make me feel as if Sammy is not getting his education's worth. Today Jim and I decided to call an IEP. We want him out of that class and into more of a real high school setting. We both understand he has limitations. God knows we have to face reality. But I want to tell her to stop looking at his limitations and deal with his potential. I don't think this is a good teacher, I don't think she see's the big picture. Ok, from this long-winded story...I need advice. IEP is December 8. Just shoot from the hip and tell me what comes to mind? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 A life skills program is just that. Basic life skills and no more. It seems to be the tract most schools wamt our kdis with DS to be in. How are Sammy's skills now. Is he reading...doing math etc. What program was he in until this year. I know 16 seems to be theyear for transitioning to getting ready for outside work but if that is not what you want then you need to tell them this. He has another 5 years in school and I don't think it should take all of that time to " teach " him how to make mashed potatoes. Only you know where Sammy is functioning and what his needs are and I think that is defferent for each kid.  Loree Life Skills  I think I need some perspective from our group. Sammy is 16. He is in High School and they put him this year in a " Life Skills " class. A few months ago I met his teacher and the annual " Back to School " night. Or in my words, " Listen to a few boring speeches' night. Our school system tends to spend 2 hours in the auditorium listening to the superintendent's speech on how great out school is (lowest paid teachers in New Jersey) and 15 minutes we get to spend with the actual teacher. This year my husband and I ducked out of the first part and went straight to the more important part. We basically kidnapped Sammy's teacher and really wanted to get to know what was going on. Firstly, she does not believe in homework. I bypass that philosophy by making him do homework that I make instead. But doesn't anyone else find that strange? She spent so much time telling us about her life skills plans. But there are no academics? She was more interested in asking us if Sammy would like to learn how to make Mashed Potatoes instead of why his reading skills are loosing ground. She has made up a banking game with pretend money and they shop or pretend to take a bus. She went on and on about her pretend world and when I asked about his social skills and his academic studies, she spent all of about a sentence telling us he is doing " ok. " No detail, just " Ok. " I walked out of there feeling like something was missing, something was really wrong but I could not express it. There are 5 kids in her class and she has two full time aides. How hard could it be to give any child in that class better attention? I guess I tried to have faith because his last two teachers were so fantastic I swear that they walked on water. They gave him their attention, their time, their love and it showed. Yesterday Sammy came home with a blank work application to Burger King and the light bulb went off! this teacher is setting up my son for a mediocre life. Minimal skills which I do a heck of a lot better at home with and no knowledge, no joy, no variety. Her lack of imagination make me feel as if Sammy is not getting his education's worth. Today Jim and I decided to call an IEP. We want him out of that class and into more of a real high school setting. We both understand he has limitations. God knows we have to face reality. But I want to tell her to stop looking at his limitations and deal with his potential. I don't think this is a good teacher, I don't think she see's the big picture. Ok, from this long-winded story...I need advice. IEP is December 8. Just shoot from the hip and tell me what comes to mind? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 Nick is 17 and a Sophomore at his local high school. He has Math, Science, Social Studies with the group (home base class) that is more life-skills oriented (in fact, his teacher has told me he is more advanced than most of his class but unfortunately isn't advanced enough to fit in with the LD kids). He has Reading and Pre-Voc with the next level up kids (most of them are more advanced than Nick but again Nick surpasses the other class in his abilities so this is a better fit {when Nick is focused}). He has Music with his home base class. He eats lunch with a group of regular ed peers and he takes PE (without an aide) with a class of regular ed peers (he doesn't dress and spends the time the class is dressing/undressing with the coach since that was the time he was typically getting into stuff and acting inappropriate). I have said since Nick was in elementary school that I did not want him just getting Life Skills that those were my responsibility or if once he completed his Senior year (4 years of high school) and he still needed assistance on Life Skills he could return for that final year as a Life Skills student. This year I raised a ruckus when I discovered that he was removed from the non-life skill classes he had previously and placed solely in the Life Skills class. Within 3 three weeks of school starting we had him back into the other classes. I agree if you know your child can handle the academics (and more importantly you want him to have academics) then push for it. My motto at Nick's IEPs has always been -- " It's my job to teach life skills; it's your job to teach academics. If you're going to not do your job and attempt to do mine, I might as well bring him home and home school him. " Cari RE: Life Skills I had 7 IEP's last year to get Karrie out of our district's life skills program. In it, she was being taught how to become more independent with her personal hygiene and how to pick up trash and shred it. She was independent with her hygiene. And it only took once for her to know how to pick up trash and shred it After a very vigorous fight, she has been moved up to a mixed batch of classes...some classes for kids with learning disabilities, some regular ed. She made honor roll. I laid out the plans I have set in motion for Karrie...had a local professor do a self-directed IEP (which the district refused to attend, but did place elements from it in her IEP under pressure from the rep of the state board of ed who was there). I am like you in that what she really needs to know life skills-wise, I can handle at home. She doesn't need to learn how to fold towels at school. That's my job to teach her. She is now getting science, social studies, math, English, PE and choir. She's thrilled to be learning (ok, she did make a comment that was overheard by the LD teacher who told everyone at our last meeting last week... " I go back to Ms. H's class (life skills)...I don't want to work, I want to color " ). Stick to your guns. You know him best!!! Sue mom to Kate 21 and Karrie 14 w/ds and mild autism On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 5:55 PM, ABraveNuWorld@... wrote: > I think I need some perspective from our group. > Sammy is 16. He is in High School and they put him this year in a > " Life Skills " class. A few months ago I met his teacher and the > annual " Back to School " night. Or in my words, " Listen to a few > boring speeches' night. Our school system tends to spend 2 hours in > the auditorium listening to the superintendent's speech on how great > out school is (lowest paid teachers in New Jersey) and 15 minutes we > get to spend with the actual teacher. > This year my husband and I ducked out of the first part and went > straight to the more important part. We basically kidnapped Sammy's > teacher and really wanted to get to know what was going on. Firstly, > she does not believe in homework. I bypass that philosophy by making > him do homework that I make instead. But doesn't anyone else find > that strange? > She spent so much time telling us about her life skills plans. But > there are no academics? She was more interested in asking us if Sammy > would like to learn how to make Mashed Potatoes instead of why his > reading skills are loosing ground. She has made up a banking game > with pretend money and they shop or pretend to take a bus. She went > on and on about her pretend world and when I asked about his social > skills and his academic studies, she spent all of about a sentence > telling us he is doing " ok. " No detail, just " Ok. " I walked out of > there feeling like something was missing, something was really wrong > but I could not express it. There are 5 kids in her class and she > has two full time aides. How hard could it be to give any child in > that class better attention? > I guess I tried to have faith because his last two teachers were so > fantastic I swear that they walked on water. They gave him their > attention, their time, their love and it showed. > Yesterday Sammy came home with a blank work application to Burger > King and the light bulb went off! this teacher is setting up my son > for a mediocre life. Minimal skills which I do a heck of a lot > better at home with and no knowledge, no joy, no variety. Her lack > of imagination make me feel as if Sammy is not getting his > education's worth. > Today Jim and I decided to call an IEP. We want him out of that > class and into more of a real high school setting. We both > understand he has limitations. God knows we have to face reality. > But I want to tell her to stop looking at his limitations and deal > with his potential. I don't think this is a good teacher, I don't > think she see's the big picture. > Ok, from this long-winded story...I need advice. IEP is December 8. > Just shoot from the hip and tell me what comes to mind? Thanks > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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