Special Education

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Home : 2001 : April : 24

Special Education
By Justine

Hello.. I ran across this board because I am looking to be a substitue teacher myself. But I am a bit horrified by what I am hearing. First of all, the word "normal" should never be introduced in a learning disabled environment.
Nobody on the face of this earth is "normal"... however, the U.S. Department of Education has come up with "standards" that must be met by each student. Children in need of IEP's don't necessarily have an IQ deficit.. but do have a learning difference. What do I mean by this? Let it be known that MOST children that are in Special Education have a higher IQ than those

who you consider "normal". The problem is... they cannot seem to harness what they are learning. It is the teacher's responsibility to try to teach them different ways of learning through their IEP. Likewise, the parents must follow this plan even when their children are at home. I am not suggesting that children with learning disabilities are "gifted" in any way.. however, some of them are... but we need to understand the ultimate frustration behind the disabilites. For example, how would you feel if somebody was teaching you algebra... but you already knew how to do it.. you would simply transpose the numbers (dyscalcula) and the answers would constantly come out wrong? But, you knew you were doing all of the formulas right. Yet every test that came back... you failed. That would make anybody not only frustrated and angry and on top of that.. tell your parents everyday that you "know how to do it", but you show them "F's" on report cards. Our lovely system doesn't allow for these types of children with disabilites to move easily throughout our school system. Keep in mind that these "abnormal children" (I absolutely hate the words normal and abnormal) that you are referring to can actually be smarter than you are... they just need to know how to show it. Given the right environment, the right support and the correct way of showing them... it is absolutely possible that you could be faced with more than two einstein's in your classroom. So while it is frustrating, and I know it is to take the time and have the patience with these children... by all means, find the time. You are subs and I know your hands are tied at times... but you can make a difference whether you know it or not.