by I’ve been an administrator for five years now, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what parents want to know. Most of them are concerned that their students are not being taught with the latest trends in educational research and practice. They want to know that their students are not receiving a good education and that their students are at risk for being left behind. They want to know that their teachers are not engaged in the latest trend in educational research and that their teachers are not teachers who are passionate about educating their students. They want to know that their children are not learning the way they need to learn.
Many parents today are turned off when they hear that the educational program they’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on isn’t meeting their educational needs. They assume that their children are not learning when they are actually just caught up. Parents have invested in the educational program and the curriculum of the school and they want to see it carried out to the letter. They assume that their children are receiving the very best quality of education and that their children are at a disadvantage when they are outside of the school system.
Educational disconnection is real and it’s why parents want to talk to you about just how to make your school better. Parents of children with special needs have a right to expect the educational institution they’ve trusted for their child to be able to give them a better education than their children are receiving. If that’s not possible then parents deserve to know why their children are not receiving the very best quality of education and how that problem originated.
So many parents want to be actively involved in their children’s education and many reach out to educators and encourage them to implement educational options for children with special needs. This isn’t unique to children with special needs. Many parents have realized that educational advancement for children with learning challenges is necessary but many reach out to teachers and ask for their child to be placed in a specialized class instead of a regular class. The problem is that educational advances for children with special needs can mean a lot of classroom time for children who are struggling to keep up. And there aren’t enough hours in the day to make it happen.
One way that parents and teachers attempt to combat educational problems is to place children in special education classes. These children are often ahead of the rest of the class and the teacher feels that they’re achieving in a way that most children aren’t. The focus then shifts to learning how to learn, how to work independently, and how to deal with people who don’t understand them. Those children who are lucky enough to be in a regular education class usually spend the majority of their time being confused by words.
It’s hard to say exactly what happens in a class with a child with special needs. That’s because they’re unable to speak up and share things that they’ve learned until things are over. The teachers have to form small groups and assume that children with special needs have the level of understanding that other children have when it comes to learning. The reality is that children with special needs have just as much need for complete information as other children. Special education classes take the focus off the acquisition of academic skills and ingredients for success in a general education classroom.
The courses in special education usually lasts about 2 to 3 years. The courses teach kids that are learning disabilities how to learn independently. The skills they learn allow kids with learning disabilities to participate in regular classes with little tools. The courses also expose kids to strategies for learning and how to deal with people who don’t understand them. Students are taught that they have the skills they need to succeed in learning and can go on to college and work with others throughout their lives.
Can children learn how to communicate in ways that match the ESL teachers’ skills? Can they read and write in ways that make sense to their lives? Do you think that they can view the same television programs or movies as the others? Of course they can. Children can and do learn skills in ways that we never thought possible. Just give them a pencil and paper and some time to practice, and they can bridge the many gaps in their knowledge that exist.
