MoN- the emotional appeal, the child losing love of learning etc, didn't work for my DS6.
they just didn't seem to really care.
or rather they tried to placate me, thinking i'd just hush up.
i didn't.
that's why i pulled him from kinder...
(that's a total of 8 yes EIGHT- kids who have left this teacher's class. actually, 6 of the kids left the school entirely!)
he's still on paper as kindergarten, but doing independent study thru the district,
and doing mid/end 1st grade work. and speeding thru this.
but back to the post creator- you sound very invested in this school, and i hope it does work out! have you requested a possible move to 1st grade?
thru the independent study, i have been given books which include the teachers edition for the treasures program CA uses, and it specifically explains day by day for teacher. breaking it down to minutes of the day to teach a specific item.
*and it also then breaks it further into special needs/approaching grade level/at grade level/ beyond. (it even has ESL!!) so i am wondering if you're childs teacher is following her teacher guide?
it specifically states what an accelerated student should be doing. the readers are higher level etc...the teacher really doesn't have to think too much outside the box LOL because it is all right there in b/w!! ((i assume that most academic programs would incl these different levels in their curriculum as well, treasures can't be only one to do so?))* even DS math teachers edition, has different levels for kids. both also break it down into large group, broken down into smaller group learning etc... it is VERY indepth.
sadly, i realize only after starting independent study, and getting my hands on these teacher editions? my DS teacher flat out refused to even attempt the "beyond" level readers etc etc instead, making him read the "decodable" bks. basic picture books really. he hated it.
just a note also,
DS was learning a new math concept last wk- he said "oh i just can't do this!"
me- why not? let's try again!
DS- "mom! i'm just too stupid now! my brain just can't learn! you know my mrs. chang thinks i'm stupid!" and then he started crying...
well. what do you say to that?
i was only then fully aware how much damage was done, i mean, how deep it went- affecting his self worth/esteem etc...
so i did what all good moms do!
i told him his teacher had simply given him "changitis" and we discussed some of the other kids who had left the class because the kids were bored and unhappy, and parents couldn't get help from the teacher... we discussed how for whatever reason this particular teacher had caused these kids to all develop changitis and they were all better now after having left her class (and yes they are all doing well/happy!)... and i explained how he was no longer there, that she was no longer going to make him feel like he couldn't do what he was very capable of doing ie read etc, also because i believed in him, and i knew what he could do and what he wanted to do, and i was going to support him however i could, and just that he needed to try. the only way to overcome changitis it to try. to continue to learn new things. to be happy learning new things.and i asked him-- you don't want to prove chang right do you? then i asked if he was happy? (i already knew answer to this was yes, because he tells me most days how happy he is that he is learning new things...) so he says yes, he is happy, and that i was right, he felt like his changitis was better. he then asked if he could try the new math concept again. he did and he understood it and was so thrilled. i told him how happy i was that he tried so hard and asked him how he felt when he tried to learn something new, that seemed hard, and he said it made him feel very happy.
point is, my DS6 is still recovering from the last 4mos spent in a classroom that stripped him of himself. what he knew, that he knew. without the support and encouragement of his teacher, someone incharge of my child for 34hrs/wk, she beat him down to a withdrawn child who hated school and didn't care about learning. *he is now back up and running, and would willingly sit and do school all day long! but that is because he is learning new things and even the review is at a more challenging level, and slowly this is empowering him, and his creative side is even finally peeking out again.
one last sidenote- DS is amazing @painting. wish i could share some. yet after i pulled him from class/school, on the last day of the semester, 1wk later i rec'd his "grades" in the mail, and his kinder teacher literally flunked him in art. oh and health. ummm i am in the healthfield. i believe both of those marks on his report card were a direct last ditch retaliation type effort on changs part. not even worth more from me than a laugh. (and i did laugh!) but also validates that she was not the right person to be entrusted to teach or even care for my son. emotional stability and wellbeing are just as important as the academic part of school in kindergarten especially.
long story short and didn't mean to hijack your original post, but
just don't wait too long to make a change in your dtr's schooling situation. damage (could be) is being done on a deeper level than just not having your dtr continue to learn new stuff etc.
take care
