my child needs to sit up front facing her teacher with a specific ear. i sent two letters to the teacher (new to school, and new to this grade, so i don't know anything about this teacher). then during meet the teacher night, i explained to her again why it is important for my child to sit up front facing her with this ear. she said sure no problem. the next day my daughter told me she was sitting up front. this was two weeks ago.
this friday my daughter had a test. i was talking to her how important it is for her to listen and concentrate on what the teacher is saying (it was a writing test). she turns to me and says i will concentrate but i may not hear her. i said why? you're sitting up front. she said no i am not, i am sitting in the back (like way in the back). but for her young age she couldn't tell me why. i did get out of her that she did sit up front for one day and then put in the back.
i was not notified or asked about this change. so i called the school, talked to the secretary and explained to her that maybe the teacher forgot but my child needs to sit (again i explained where). the secretary already knew this (from last year) and said sure i'll pass your message to the teacher.
mid morning i get a call from the teacher. she explained to me that she moved my daughter in the back because she was talking hence becoming distracting to the teacher. then she said: but that is besides the point because i do not stand in front of the class, i am more like in the middle for most part of the day so it really doesn't matter where your child is sitting.
i was perplexed and unable to offer suggestion because we didn't have this problem last year. when the last year's teacher was told of our daughter's need, she made it happen and there were no confusion as to where the teacher will be standing. of course i cannot glue the teacher up front. but what do i do now? knowing that the teacher says she stands in the middle of the classroom, where should i ask for my daughter to sit?
i am also not happy with the fact that she took it upon herself to remove my child without discussing it with me first, or asking me for where she should sit, or just tell me sitting up front won't work, just giving me an option to come up with something better. i would have also dealt with 'her talking' had i known she's talking in school.
i am not defending my child. if she's disruptive then we need to nip it in the bud, but in meantime what about sitting arrangements? do i have any options?
EDIT: I am aware of the EIP and 504 plan, and had my daughter tested last year through the school district. She did not qualify because 'she scored above her age in everything.' I was told with not so many words that a child needs to perform below her age in order to qualify. Another issue was that her issue could not qualify as a disability but rather a medical issue because my daughter's hearing loss could be reversed (her surgery to reverse it was last year. her hearing returned to the fullest, until complications developed and she lost it again. There are reasons to believe a second surgery could be performed but at a later age, after 13 years old, because she gets sick easily and the surgery could fail again due to her getting sick). i came short of suing the school district after the ruling. The reason we didn't go that route is because her kindergarten teacher decided she will do everything for my daughter to not miss any of the instructions/teachings. She did well and was successful. This year we are dealing with a brand new teacher, who, as of right now, seems unwilling to work with us. I am having my daughter be seen by her specialist next week, during which I will request a letter to be sent to the teacher outlining what my daughter needs. Per your recommendation, I will also send a letter to the teacher CCing it to the principal as well. I hope this will get her to understand this need is not optional. Thanks moms.
I'd probably ask for a friendly meeting with the teacher, and then if no results with the principal. Come up with the best strategy together. Perhaps if she talks too much she is sent to sit in the hall for a short time. Might work better than moving her the whole day where she can't hear. I don't know, but seems teacher and principal should be willing to work with you.... although you may have to be pleasantly persistent.
If your daughter has a hearing loss, you should write a letter to the school districts special education department requesting accomodatins for her disablity under an IEP. You could include your evaluation data with the type of hearing loss she has, and the degree to which the ear has hearing loss. She is entitlted to accomodations under either an IEP or a 504 plan, and you will no longer have to discuss this with just the teacher, you will have a plan, enforcable by law, and maybe even other modifciations and services that will help your daugter be more sucessful, such as a FM listening device, so it will not matter where the teacher is in the room, and your daughter will have access to the entire general education curiculum that her non disabled peers have, dispite her hearing loss. Write the letter today, put it in the mail tomorrow morning, and log on to www.wrightslaw.com and read about advocacy for your child so that she is receives an appropriate education.
M.
L., go to www.wrightslaw.com, look under your state in the yellow pages and find an educatinal advocate to help you. This is abosolute hog wash, your daughter has a hearing loss which is fully covered by IDEA no matter how smart she is. She does not have to be both cognatively challenged and have a hearing loss to qualify, and you need help to get what your child needs, and right away. Hire an advocate, an do it tomorrow. She should be seen by an audiolgist at school, whether this is a permanant medical issue or not. They are taking advantage of what you do not know about advocacy, so hire an advocate, and start comunicating with your school in writing, it it did not happen in writing, it never happened. Please do not wait on this. Get some help from an advocate who can both help you get the services she needs and some compensatory services for what she has missed out on.
MR
bottom line: your feelings are hurt because your wishes were not followed.
bottom line: the teacher was discourteous in not contacting you explaining why she moved your child. & honestly, if she teaches from the middle, why isn't your daughter in the middle? AND if your child is a talker, then wouldn't the teacher want her closest to her....to be able to better reprimand/prevent the talking issues? Again, honestly, I think this teacher resents being told what to do!
Time for a sit-down discussion with the teacher. Address all of your concerns, but please be aware that she probably views you as a demanding buttinski parent.........tread lightly & maybe it's time for some damage control on both your parts!
ask that your child be switched to another classroom and speak to the principle. the teacher she has now sounds like a big b????. I had a hearing problem in school ans believe me, the teacher makes a big difference.
Our son lost much of his hearing and we could not figure out why. He listerally had 38% hearing. The pediatricans, ertc told us to give him antibotics, benadryl, etc. We finally figured it out - he had a fungal overgrowth from the peanutbutter AND we had an asbestos problem in our home - our airducts were made of them, etc. Anyway, we did a 3 month detox on him with fungal and asbestos homeopathic drops, PB8 and switched him to sunflowerseed butter AND no dairy. His hearing came back 100%. No conventional doctor could help us with this.
I would talk to the teacher and try to get a game plan that works for all 3 of you, especially your child.
I always volunteered in my kids classes and their seats were rarely in rows. They were placed in groups. Throughout the year their seating positions were rotated. That way, basically everybody had a turn sitting by everybody else. Also, when they worked on projects, there would be "stations". Scissor station, paint station, glue station, etc. It helped keep the supplies in one spot and the kids moved to them. Anyway, both the teachers and the children moved around quite a bit. In those instances, it would have been impossible to accomodate a parent's request for a child to sit in a particular area of the room at all times.
Like you said, this is something you wouldn't know if it hadn't been discussed with you so that's why you need to talk to the teacher. I don't know if it's realistic to expect that the teacher cannot move where your child sits without your prior permission. Especially if it's over something that might be just for the remainder of a day due to your child's talking in class. Your daughter is a normal child with hearing loss in one ear. That shouldn't mean she shouldn't have to move her seat for talking if that's the same thing the other kids have to do.
Another thing that I thought of was that because your daughter can't hear well, she may talk really loud. Not that she can help it. But it's something to consider and hopefully you and the teacher can work with her on it.
I really like the idea of the amplifier so that both she and the teacher can move about the classroom and your daughter can still hear her.
I don't think the teacher is "unwilling" to work with you. Better communication between you and the teacher is your best bet. Be sure to let her know you understand she has a class full of students and you're just hoping that she will work with you regarding your daughter's needs due to her medical condition. From all the many, many classes I've been in, I just don't know if it's logistically possible for your daughter to be right next to the teacher with a certain ear towards her 100% of the day or vice versa.
I hope you're able to get something worked out.
I know that as your daughter gets older, she may not like having to be right next to the teacher all the time. Those spots are usually reserved for the kids that are in trouble. :)
Every year, with new teachers and teaching styles, etc, you will have to go through the communication process so this is a good time to begin. You got really lucky with a kindergarten teacher who could do everything for your daughter that you asked.
Don't give up. Don't bite the teacher's head off. Work on a game plan together.
Best wishes.
As a first grade teacher, I usually spread out the talkers and make sure that I roam around the room often by them to make sure they don't talk.
I am annoyed for you that this teacher seems to be missing very basic teacher training. If there is a known disability and the sitting arrangement can help, it seems like an easy fix for the teacher to do. Also even if sitting in front won't help because she teaches from all over her room, she needs to make sure you know she is aware of your daughter's situtation and gives you specific ways in which she is addressing your daughter's learning needs and does them.
Have you received a letter from her doctor? Perhaps, getting a letter from her pediatrician stating her disablility would help. Have you been through the route to see if she fits under a 504 plan? Also have you thought about an amplifier? I have seen devices that help children hear. The teacher wears a microphone and the student wears an ear piece. I bring this up because first grade teachers don't tend to stay at the front of their classroom but rather move around a lot. So even if your child was at the front, it may not help.
Good luck to you. I dislike teachers who refuse to help all their students because that is our job.
You need to get her an IEP or a 504 plan, which will put in place the specific accommodations your child needs, and require the teacher to adhere to them. You can research both of these options at Wrightslaw.com.
I agree with other posters she should have a 504 plan which is discussed with teacher and child study team. If teacher walks around the room a lot than there are sound systems that teacher uses -all our teachers have a microphone and speakers to help all students hear 100% of what is said.
In the mean tme something is wrong if teacher will not allow your child to sit up front Ask to meet with her ASAP
The teacher needs to deal with the child's talking, not just move her to the back so the child doesn't distract the teacher!!! I'd get a meeting with the teacher and the principal (or guidance counselor or special needs coordinator if there is one).
I agree that many teachers move around the room rather than just stand in the front of the room. As a former teacher myself, I can tell you that I would stand right next to a "talker" and make a point of directing my lesson right at that child and/or the child she's talking to - I'd stand between them. I wouldn't move her farther from me, although I might split up 2 kids who are particularly chatty with each other. A skilled teacher can nip this in the bud, and not leave it to the parent to deal with.
Your daughter may also be talking because she is missing some of the lesson - some kids with issues fill in the silence or the quiet moments. I would think some very specific information from your child's doctor would be helpful to the school - not necessarily a directive on where the child should sit, although certainly detailing which ear is not fully functioning and what the nature of the problem is. Sometimes info from a professional is more clear to them and sounds less like a parent trying to control the classroom. Not that you are intending to do this, but you don't know what other input the school has from other parents of special needs kids - they may be perceived as interfering.
I agree the teacher should have informed you of the change. But if you approach the school as a member of a team, (parents, educators, medical) you may have better luck.
I grew up with the same problem and all through grammar school, when they didn't have IEP's or people who admonished mother because her child was chatty, or teachers who are young and really don't care, or teachers who are old and also really don't care, there was a thing called good old fashioned thoughtfulness. And all of the years I was in school teachers put me in the front and although I believe I could be a chatter, too, a teacher has to deal with more than one chatter all day (so why single out your daughter) and therefore should have control of a class without dealing with a tiny person who likes to add her two sense. I urge you to write a note, like one mother said, to the principal perhaps and let her know that it will be helpful (one more time). It doesn't sound like your child has issues with learning, it is the hearing that is a problem. And evidently the teacher needs to get her ears cleaned out a little since she didn't hear you. And also mention that you discussed this with the teacher and do not appreciate that it was changed. You are not trying to be the teacher's best friend, you are trying to give your daughter her fair chance. IEP's are wonderful, but if your child is healthy,sounds intelligent and able to learn without it, there are others who would benfit from it so much more. On the plus side, I received a bachelor's degree without the aid of hearing device, without an IEP and am proud of it. All because there were many thoughtful people on earth.
unless you have an iep or 504 that says she must sit in the front w/ the specific ear facing her you cannot do much else but ask. If she has a problem w/ her hearing then I don't think you should have a problem getting one. And make sure it says sit in the front and not preferential seating.
Yes-you should totally get an IEP and then they MUST do as you wish with her. So sad to think a teacher wouldn't do her best to accomodate a child with these issues. So, not sure what you can do about this year. If it were me there would be a mtg. with the principal on this. BUT, for next year you have to be involved in her placement. Figure out who the teacher would be that would be most likely to work with you and fight for her placement in that class. Another good reason for and IEP is that you will have much more power for this kind of request.
hhhm, so how'd she do on the test?
