inclusion

I have a new student that I am working with. He's a bit of a pain in the ass during regular ed classes, can't read higher than a 2nd grade level, so he can't keep up.  Every day we spend a half hour going over what the science teacher had taught that day. I am all for inclusion, however sometimes some thought should be given to what classes these kids are put in. There is only so much modification that can be done.

Kids would rather be seen as a problem or a clown than to look stupid in front of the other kids. Many of them eventually end up with me. As did this one. I have to agree he is rude, disruptive not to mention aggravating. If I'm the only one who makes the connection between his behavior and his reading levels I have to be brilliant! 

In the school's defence he does have extra help with the Wilson Reading program. He is making progress, he does have learning disabilities, he needs to learn to over come or compensate for. Wouldn't you think we would better serve him to teach him how to manage his money, write a check, pay his bills some real life skills that he is going to need rather than if he can interpret a Punnett square?

The guidance councilors had the 8th grade take a survey on line. How the kid answers the questions will determine a list of occupations they may have interests in. Here's this kid talking about being an FBI agent, or maybe a Forensic Archaeologist. Okay, I don't want to discourage any ones dreams.However, realistically, he'll quit school at 16 and fall into the same circle of poverty he comes from. What he needs is the tools to help him be independant, to someday be employable and to make some contrabution to society. What we need to do is find a way to get him  and the others like him to that point.

My school is only a hair away from being declared under preforming and be taken over by the state. This years MCAS tests will be the determining factor, did we make the yearly improvement number. My guess is we wont, haven't in the past 4 years. We have always improved just not to the states satisfaction. We are a depressed area, one third of all 6th graders have an IEP. Almost half of the student body is on free or reduced lunch. We are a community just trying to keep its heads above water.We are a population of working poor, like many other places in this state. What are we to do, I have no idea. What I do know is we have bigger problems in this city than if we hit a target number on a test issued by the state.

I am rambling.....I will get off my soapbox .... I now have to read about how DNA is reproduced so I can reteach this to a kid who up until B block had no idea what DNA was.....inclusion.