Sentences I dread
"Could he be autistic or something?"
The number of times that I have heard this statement from parents is unreal. Usually it's because the child has been in trouble a number of times and the parents want a reason. Some want an excuse. Some want to label the child with a problem so that they can cure him, so they have something to attack. The stereotypical view of autists, courtesty of Rainman and his ilk, gives them something that they can use. "Well, someone with autism would be naughty wouldn't they?" (Sometimes ASD children choose to interact with the world in this way, yes!) "Maybe he didn't understand you, he wouldn't if he was autistic." (Could be true, but not in this case)
Parents don't want to hear "Nope, he's just been naughty and he needs to stop it."
Or "He just doesn't understand how to do x, but he'll get there." It's as if having a label will make it better.
"He needs more help. Can't he have an adult of his own like other children do?"
I love this one. As if the statementing process didn't take most of a child's school life to complete, and as if there was all the money in the world. And yes, having his own adult would help because she could tell him to stop talking and leave his neighbour alone, and repeat things because he's not listened, and underline things for him because he finds that hard and so on.
"Here's his dinner money, can you do it for him?"
Yes I can, but if you are a perfectly able to do it for your self child, then why am I going to pamper you this way? These children need to grow up and be organised for themselves. I know that there are children who have a genuine difficulty, but not most of the class! Grrr!
"I don't want him to do X."
I don't want him to do it either. Take it up with the Education Secretary. I would love to be able to set my own curriculum and topic and so on. I can't. I am not allowed. Many and varied apologies for this!
"He came home with nits last night, what are you going to do about it?"
Comb my hair. Tell the children that someone has them. (Usually I say it's me - the percieved stigma is lessening in my class through this!) Comb my hair. Remind them to tie hair up. Comb my hair. Can you see the pattern?
And now it's 8am. On a Saturday. I have marked the literacy books, fed the washing machine, fed the tumble drier and refed the washing machine. Oh, and I cried through Homebirth Diaries, then cussed through 'Bringing baby home'. Talk about the two extremes!
Now I need a cup of tea and a rest. And to tidy the kitchen.
Laters people.
The number of times that I have heard this statement from parents is unreal. Usually it's because the child has been in trouble a number of times and the parents want a reason. Some want an excuse. Some want to label the child with a problem so that they can cure him, so they have something to attack. The stereotypical view of autists, courtesty of Rainman and his ilk, gives them something that they can use. "Well, someone with autism would be naughty wouldn't they?" (Sometimes ASD children choose to interact with the world in this way, yes!) "Maybe he didn't understand you, he wouldn't if he was autistic." (Could be true, but not in this case)
Parents don't want to hear "Nope, he's just been naughty and he needs to stop it."
Or "He just doesn't understand how to do x, but he'll get there." It's as if having a label will make it better.
"He needs more help. Can't he have an adult of his own like other children do?"
I love this one. As if the statementing process didn't take most of a child's school life to complete, and as if there was all the money in the world. And yes, having his own adult would help because she could tell him to stop talking and leave his neighbour alone, and repeat things because he's not listened, and underline things for him because he finds that hard and so on.
"Here's his dinner money, can you do it for him?"
Yes I can, but if you are a perfectly able to do it for your self child, then why am I going to pamper you this way? These children need to grow up and be organised for themselves. I know that there are children who have a genuine difficulty, but not most of the class! Grrr!
"I don't want him to do X."
I don't want him to do it either. Take it up with the Education Secretary. I would love to be able to set my own curriculum and topic and so on. I can't. I am not allowed. Many and varied apologies for this!
"He came home with nits last night, what are you going to do about it?"
Comb my hair. Tell the children that someone has them. (Usually I say it's me - the percieved stigma is lessening in my class through this!) Comb my hair. Remind them to tie hair up. Comb my hair. Can you see the pattern?
And now it's 8am. On a Saturday. I have marked the literacy books, fed the washing machine, fed the tumble drier and refed the washing machine. Oh, and I cried through Homebirth Diaries, then cussed through 'Bringing baby home'. Talk about the two extremes!
Now I need a cup of tea and a rest. And to tidy the kitchen.
Laters people.
posted by Teacher at
6:34 AM
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