I have a girl in might night class at the commununity college that is very learning disabled. SHE IS NOT STUPID!!!! This girl, is in class every time it meets. She does all her homework, underlines pertinent material and is running an A in the class. I feel good watching her succeed and knowing that the A she is running is doing more for her self esteem than it is for her GPA.
This girl knows she has reached her academic ceiling and although she would like to get an Associates Degree, she realizes she cannot do it. The work is too hard. SHE IS NOT STUPID. It takes a bright person to see their limitations and work within them. Along with my class, she was taking a history class and a Spanish class. Unfortunately, she was not doing well in either and was forced to drop them. But, SHE IS NOT STUPID!!!! She paid for the courses, bought the books and continues to attend class. She does all the work and sits for the exams. She is determined to learn as much as possible.
Now, we just need to make the Board of Regents as smart as this girl. Make them see academic ceilings. Force them to help our students succeed on a level that is good for them.
The rantings of a teacher who retired from the classroom but not from education.
2 comments:
I don't know where I read the story a few years ago, but it was about a severely dyslexic guy who was brilliant, but absolutely could not read. If someone read the material to him, he could get it. He could also dictate answers to an amanuensis. But he could not read. So his mother became his personal secretary. She read everything to him. He dictated his papers to her. She went with him to college. He got his degree. He became an attorney. I don't know, maybe his mom is still working with him! My point is this: There is no reason your student, who is not stupid, cannot get a degree. There just needs to be a creative solution to the problem. What is it?
I wish I had an answer for you. I let her have extended time on exams and give her whatever help she needs. It's the toher classes she is having trouble with. She told me one teacher refuses to give her the extended time she is entitled to (and she is afraid to push it) and she just has too much trouble with writing essays. I love the kid, but I think her studies are limited.
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