My son finished school this past Wednesday and we have a long summer ahead of us. Well, not that long since school starts back August 10. We had a very trying year, as I had many battles with his teachers.
He is ADHD, but I did not wish to medicate him, at least not immediately. There are many techniques that instructors can implement that can be beneficial for the troubled student while still being nondispruptive to the rest of the class. Unfortunately, I had to keep reminding his teachers that these would not be temporary fixes, that they had to be continuously enforced in order for them to be successful. I also had to remind them that taking recess away from an ADHD kid is not the brightest thing to do, even if it is to finish school work especially since they can just send the work home with him and know that I would get him to do it that evening. This also applies to taking lunch time away, which is absolutely unacceptable since they don't normally have enough time to finish eating as it is.
Of course, I understand where these teachers are coming from. I know how strict the testing is in this part of the country and that the school district that we live in is one of the top ones around; but come on, let the kids be kids a little longer. He was only in first grade and he had to move from classroom to classroom, switching teachers throughout the day. I would like him to think of school as a positive experience, not a torture chamber.
The End
2 years ago
2 comments:
I agree with you. What are we trying to make our children into these days? I think a teacher's desire to have a child put on Ritalin or some other drug is an indication of her(his) not being up to the challenge of teaching. Wouldn't it make their job easier if all kids were the same, no idiosyncrasies at all? Teaching is a difficult job, and requires a special person with abilities that go beyond the skills they learned in college. If their only solution is drugs for the kids, maybe they would be better suited to another profession.
This post hit so close to home. When my oldest one started school...they wanted to put him on meds. Hubby and I REFUSED. He was just immature...and a BOY. My Hubby was just as bad as a youngster..but grew up by Jr. High and has had an impressive career for over 20 years. Medication would have CHANGED him. Anyway...my oldest never got the drugs...and he "grew up" by 4th grade. All the other boys....are still on meds...and will be for a LONG time. They are super skinny...and a SHELL of what an 11 year old should be like. My heart breaks for them.
I'm glad you are willing to battle for your son. Schools can really put the pressure on...but the PARENT KNOWS BEST. Good Luck!
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