Entry #23 - Feb. 22, 1999
There does seem to be a mindset that putting students in categories
solves some kind of problem -- even if you never DO anything about the needs
you identified!
What a week!
It started off well, with the welcome news that Luke (who was hit by a car
last week) is home from the hospital, sporting a new buzz cut and many stitches,
but expected to make a full recovery and return to school in the near future.
To settle everyone down Monday, I had one group begin the day writing in
their journals. The usual whines of, "I don't have anything to write
about!" led to a discussion of Luke's accident, safety, the fragility
of life and other deep topics.
One softspoken boy muttered (loud enough for me to hear), "I guess
I can write about my suicide plans. I'm always thinking about it."
My antennae swiveled around with lightning speed. How to respond? You don't
want to make light of the issue OR exaggerate it. I made eye contact with
the boy and said something like, "We nearly lost Luke -- please, we
can't do without you! Your smile lights up the room!" He grinned, and
started writing -- about something else.
But I wasn't satisfied. He has mentioned suicide before. This is not a kid
who calls attention to himself, and not one with obvious problems. He has
a good family, appears well-cared-for, has friends and does not get into
trouble. Should we be concerned? I think so. So does his homeroom teacher.
He mentioned something similar to her about two months ago, and she went
to the principal, who promised to "do something." However, I don't
know what that "something" was, or whether it was ever done. Certainly,
we have not had a school team meeting about this boy, or had outside agencies
or the social worker in for input. Yet, repeated talk about suicide, especially
in "unlikely" kids, should ALWAYS be taken seriously. What to
do now?
I went to his homeroom teacher, and she shared my feeling that this is a
pressing concern. Together we went to the principal, who was proof-reading
report cards, and appeared to hear our message. However, neither of us felt
she shared our sense of urgency. She said, "I'll talk to him,"
but we both feel something more than "talk" is needed. My colleague
shrugged after our conversation. "What can we do?" She said. "At
least we've covered ourselves. Be sure you document this."
I sighed. So much of teaching has become a matter of "covering yourself"
and "documenting." Maybe necessary, but still not sufficient.
There must be more I can do. Perhaps I can call a meeting of the school
team? I'll check. I will certainly talk to the psychologist and possibly
to the parent (I want some advice first). Perhaps the boy is suffering from
clinical depression -- not unheard of at this age, and treatable. I don't
accept that, by passing the buck higher up, I don't have to look for solutions
myself. Especially when my experience is that problems passed on up the
line are ignored!
It does seem that the farther removed from the student, the less the "system"
is committed to meeting student needs. A glaring example was at an area
meeting to identify students with exceptionalities. After months of red
tape and paperwork, we were finally all at an impressive meeting to see
that a student from our school was properly labeled. The homeroom teacher,
who came with me, whispered "Look at the money sitting around this
table" (i.e., principals, superintendents, coordinators, etc..).
Our student is a slow learner, a Grade 8 student with the mental age of
a seven-year-old. Besides being the target of peer malice, she is having
no success in her classwork and making little progress in the basic skills
and life skills she needs, as there is no staff to provide this (she attends
the resource room in a large group). No aide or special materials or home
support.
After a brief presentation of the facts, the committee decided that yes,
this student was exceptional, and merited a designation of "slow intellectual
development." For once, it was not ME being the gadfly -- her homeroom
teacher asked, "So now what? What will change for this student? Will
she receive an appropriate program?" The "suits" looked at
the teacher as if she were from Mars. "Why, nothing," they said.
"We don't have any spaces in our slow learner programs -- there is
a long waiting list" (in fact, another of our students has been waiting
almost 2 years).
What about high school, we asked. "Well we don't have anything for
her there either." The homeroom teacher looked at me and muttered,
"So why are we wasting our time and taxpayers' money on this meeting,
then? "
The chair of the meeting overheard her, and said, "Well, we've given
her a designation..."
Big deal. There does seem to be a mindset that putting students in categories
solves some kind of problem -- even if you never DO anything about the needs
you identified! It reminds me of my thinking process in my younger days
when I made ambitious study schedules -- and then felt so virtuous I went
out to play (instead of studying)!
If all this paperwork and committee work is not accompanied by REAL CHANGES
FOR THE STUDENTS, it IS a total waste of time and money! I find it not surprising
that many of my colleagues refuse to cooperate with the process any longer.
"Why bother to identify special needs students," they say. "They
aren't going to do anything to meet the needs if they ARE identified --
so what is the benefit? Why waste our time?"
I can't answer that one, unfortunately.
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