help me give my mil a good answer!

amother

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 12:42 pm

my mil is a 1st grade, regular ed teacher. she has never gone to college or the such... I just finished my degree in special ed, so hey, im the pro!
she just told me she has a student who has very bad muscle tone and cant hold a pencil. her shadow holds the pencil with her and guides her hand-over-hand, so the girl is not really doing the writing. so firstly, she asked if theres any device out there that can maybe strap onto her wrist, with a pencil attached in such a way that she can write
next thing she asked, it seems this girl is a little below grade level, and doesnt seem to keep up with the class. she always asjks what are we doing next, just to know, but then doesnt really participate. how should my mil go about this-to bring her more into the class?
please, please help me! my mil thinks I know answers to every single question!!

octopus

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 12:49 pm

ha! the thing that truly counts in education is EXPERIENCE! you can have degrees (which are helpful) but you really don't learn THAT much from sitting in a Masters level class about the practical things in teaching.

with regards to the pencil- does she have an extra thick pencil. Those are easier to grasp than the small skinny ones. there is even an attachment that makes it even easier to grasp (but it is not strapped on to the child).

Was this child ever evaluated? Does she have an IEP? (an individualized education plan- child has to be evaluated first). If she does- what are the goals of the IEP. THATs where you would begin.

amother

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 12:54 pm

agree 100% with octupus. my degree means nothing compared to experience! but your mil should firstly discuss with the shadow issues that need to be worked on. she might want the shadow to prepare her in advance for the lesson. your mil could give her the questions that will be asked in class to prepare her in advance.

also, the hand over hand can be the first step. then she can move on to writing the first letter of each word herself with a special device and so on.

amother

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 1:36 pm

there are these triangle 'devices' that are put on the pencil to help with proper grip/use of pencils. That might be helpful...

Why don't you be upfront with you MIL and make her feel good at the same time.
besides, you don't know how many times this kind of situation will come up, and you don't want to be pressured to have an answer on the spot, just cuz you got a degree.
you could tell her that experience can sometimes outway 'degrees'. but based on what you learned you will try to come up with a solution...

Fox

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 2:04 pm

First of all, kudos to your MIL for being so concerned and making an effort to help this student. I wrote rather stridently on another recent thread about teachers who don't work to suggest solutions for problems, and while I continue to believe what I wrote, it's wonderful to hear about a teacher who, without advanced degrees or probably much administrative support, is so focused on problem-solving.

I will echo what others have said, with one addition: show her how you might research such an issue. Even just using Google, you can show her how to find possible solutions through writing devices, OT help, etc. Knowing how to find and use the resources out there is vital for any good teacher, and your MIL will probably not only be impressed with you, but you can avoid coming off as a know-it-all.

I'm always a little leery when people stress that experience is such a great qualification. It can be the best qualification out there, but unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don't learn from their experience -- they just keep doing the same things wrong over and over! Again, yasher koach to MIL for being so open to learning new things!

octopus

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 3:41 pm

Fox wrote:

oh, so very true! (and I'm talking as one who does not have so much experience). A person can have 25 years of "experience" but if they are not learning from their mistakes, can be making the same ones after all that time!

amother

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 4:18 pm

op here. yes, I know experience is the key, but my mil sounds like she has never had such a student & doesnt know where to begin, whereas I have worked for 3 years with special ed students, some of which sound like my mil's student. the only diference is, that my entire class was basically on the same level, whereas her class is so much ahead of this student.
I did tell her that I cant think of anything on the spot, and I will try to think more over the next few days, and I told her to google things for the pencil. she specifically said that the triangular grips wont work for this child, because she cant hold a pencil-she needs something that can strap around her wrist. I googled and came up with http://specialchildren.about.c.....2.htm
but I dont know if it will help. she needs something along these lines.
btw, im anonymous in case my mil happens to be on this site, although I highly doubt she knows about this site! but I would NOT want her to know who I am Wink

imasinger

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 4:39 pm

I'm no expert, but here's what comes up for me as a parent and as a teacher. I, too, am curious about an IEP and OT for this child. If she already has a shadow, maybe there is something there?

As far as bringing her into the class routine, maybe it would be helpful to have a schedule with symbols as well as writing posted where this child could see it (on her desk, or on the board for everyone), so that she can have a visual reminder what is going on. It also would be helpful to review what will be expected during each project, and possibly to provide the child with a checklist of the steps that are to be accomplished (maybe the shadow could help with this).

I have been told by OT's that kids who have so many problems writing will do best if they are taught to type early, and are given access to a small, kid-friendly word processor like alpha-smart in their classroom.

Fox

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 6:57 pm

imasinger wrote:

I have been told by OT's that kids who have so many problems writing will do best if they are taught to type early, and are given access to a small, kid-friendly word processor like alpha-smart in their classroom.

That's a fantastic idea! One of my DDs has mild non-verbal learning issues, and the first suggestion from the psychologist who did her testing was to get a laptop computer of some sort for taking notes, etc. She is left-handed, and the whole handwriting thing was just slowing her down enormously. My mom learned to type when she was five, and she also insisted that I learn at about the same time. I think it was very helpful for me, and I would imagine that it would be helpful for any child who finds handwriting difficult for any reason.

What was interesting is that, when the pressure was off, same DD got a book about calligraphy and actually developed very nice handwriting. But she sees it as an artistic skill, not something that she uses to communicate in writing.

SingALong

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 9:33 pm

there is something called a "universal cuff" that wraps around the wrist/4 fingers for the purpose of attachment to an object, often an eating utensil, when a hand isn't coordinated enough to handle it. google the term universal cuff or universal handcuff, or check out sammonpreston.com

however, any adaptive equipment/device should really be recommneded by a professional, such as an OT to determine which device is applicable, what size is needed, and train the kid how to use it properly. I wonder if her IEP includes OT services. if she is getting services at home/school, the OT should be informed of this and perhaps give the shadow techniques how the child should write, and how any hand cuff should be used.

ditto on the pictures/icons. there are these flippy books available, a professor showed me once, of icons that mean certain things so the teacher just points and the kid gets the message. it comes with a necklace so the teacher has it on her always. usually items like

Quiet
clean up
wash hands
line up
circle time

but I guess it can be anything that can be defined with a picture.

greenfire

Sun, Nov 01 2009, 9:44 pm

Fox wrote:

I'm always a little leery when people stress that experience is such a great qualification. It can be the best qualification out there, but unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don't learn from their experience -- they just keep doing the same things wrong over and over! Again, yasher koach to MIL for being so open to learning new things!

sly as a foxy - you are so wise ...

shmoozer

Thu, Nov 12 2009, 11:11 am

I would say somethng like "it's so funny. even though I have my degree and all, I don't have experience. I would probably come to YOU with this question if it were in my class, as I look at YOU as the experienced teacher, and you know that experience is everything. BUT, I could try to find some answers for you from professionals."

yaelinIN

Thu, Nov 12 2009, 11:36 am

amother wrote:

Quote:

my mil is a 1st grade, regular ed teacher. she has never gone to college or the such.

woa!!!!

I know on the surface it sounds weird, but there are many homeschooling parents out there (I am speaking of non-Jews, but one could extrapolate to Jews for chol at least) who have only a high school education and are able to teach their children (and perhaps themselves too) and even send them to college...