Parent School Staff Meetings

School parent meetings can be scary for some parents. They may feel the school staff member knows so much more than they do. Education scares them?

Maybe the parent has had bad experiences from their own classroom experience?
The reasons could vary. But you are the expert on your child. It is your responsibility to show your expertize to the school. You know your child's strength and weakness's. Maybe the same are not being shown at school.

At school meetings, some of the best clues to a child can come from seemingly, unimportant statements made by the parent or child. A well trained staff member can pick these statements up and incorporate them into developing an improved program for your child.

Worried? Take a friend or relative that knows your child well. Take a notebook with notes of what you want to discuss with staff. Keep all statements short and to the point. Usually, two minutes or less will say a lot. Any longer and people lose their train of thought. Give pros and con's.

Make note of any comments of others that you can use later. You may pick up some
clues to discuss with your child after the meeting.

Hint: Dress nicely. Approach the meeting as you would a business meeting. You will be more organized and sound more professional than you feel.
Your child is your business.

A Parent's Experience

A few years ago, the parents of a 2nd grader was notified by their school, plans were being made to retain their daughter in the second grade in the following year.

There had been no previous indicationfrom the school of the child being seriously behind in school. She was having difficulty in reading but was being tutored and helped at home with progress being shown. No extra assistance had been offered
from school.

This should have been the first step for the school. It was not followed.
After the parents, in writing refused to consider the retaining order with out a meeting, a meeting was called.
Immediately, small group assistance was agreed to along with Special Education assessment. Six weeks later, she was entered into Special Education with no talk of retaining her. This was a speedy move for most schools.

Another request made by the parents was to receive a copy of the documents results the school was using to make their retaining decision. This was never received from the school.

Today, this student is a busy seventh grader. She had some area that shows difficulty, but she has learned to work her way through the difficult areas. Time has shown that her most loved class is producing music on her violin.

School Experience

Years ago, I accidentally found pencil lead under my son's back skin. It
was the only tip off that he was having a problem in school. He finally
confessed to me, the boy seated behind him had begun poking him with a
pencil, often. He did not want me to take the problem to school. I did, by
calling the principal, the next morning. The boy was moved to an area that
prevented this behavior.
* Is your child happy to attend school?
* If something is not going well, does your student feel it is all their fault?

Uncertain students are easy to convenience "it is their fault". Don't let this occur.

Should you answer yes to any of these questions, it is time to take a good look at your child's school situation. It may mean just alerting the teacher, it may mean going farther. But often, the first step will take care of the problem.

People Without a Written Language

Until almost 1920, the Navajos as well as other Native American tribes did not have a written language.
Between 1910 land 1920, an effort was made to learn the language and put the sounds in phonic language. Up until that time, much sign language was used or oral language, which took interpreters.
Most of the old biographies were pass on though the years by family historians, and not well known by many of the tribal members.
Stepping Stones to Navajo History has some great biographies.

Special Education Additional Assistance

    How do you know your child needs additional assistance in or out of school?
We expect schools to notice when all students need extra assistance.
Problem: It does not always occur. Sometimes, they "fall through the cracks. "
    Do you have a student "falling through the cracks"? Reasons for this may be varied.
    * A new teacher with less experience and too much to do.
    * Is the class over crowded?
    * Is there para-professional assistance in the class at least part of the day?
    * What is the classroom behavior? Well managed or disorganized?
    * Have you visited the class during class time? You may need to and observe
       your child's activities.
    * Have you questioned your child, listened to your child, gained his opinions of
       his class?
    * Is there a behavior problem with another student that needs to be addressed?

Can't be bothered

Once, I had a child with the "Can't be bothered to learn" attitude. I began to ask him what his parents did to provide him with his needs. Both of them worked outside the home and he seemed to have the best of many things.
He knew the places they worked, but could not tell me what the jobs consisted of nor what they needed to do the job.
In school, he refused to use any of the teaching tools that were offered. He refused to turn in work, etc.

A conference with parents was a total disaster. They could not understand, or would not, that he was being taught skills at home that would not benefit his future. They had few expectations for his actions, so he gave them very little effort.
Very shortly afterward, he was transferred to another school. Do you think he changed much in the future? Or was he taught another undesirable lesson, by the parents.
Everytime someone expects something of you, it is easier to move on and slide through life, never accomplishing anything because you have no goals.
Teaching your child that life is not hard work is teaching them how not to have a life.
Setting goals are a life skill. You have to be taught that goals are necessary for yourself and for future employers.

He had also not made any friends in our class. Not because the students did not try to make a new friend, but even their demands toward friendships were rebuffed.
The lack of desire for goal setting even kept him from a social life.

Family History is a learning tool

Do you listen to old stories about your family history? What has happened in your family and is now a fascinating lore? These stories are educational. How did your ancestors cope with difficult times?
Take notes of these stories and pass them on to your child. They will learn how to better handle life and the story has been given to the next generation.
A great example of how history can be lost and recovered is found in this book.
Stepping Stones to Navajo History

Teaching Work Skills

Does your child know what skills you have? How do you earn your income?

Some children do not have this vital information.
You go to work and bring in a check to purchase their housing, food, toys, clothes, and fun. All your child needs to say is "I want" and it comes to them. No effort is needed.

It may be important for you to teach your child what you have to go through to provide their needs. What do your employers require of you to provide that toy, or snack? Homes can be valuable in teaching: use of time, accurate learning, budgeting of time and money and responsibility.

Special Education Tips & Ideas

Boring!

"Boring"
Do you get that response from your student about homework, "Boring!"
Do they understand that sometimes repeating is necessary to master a skill. Tests show that some of us need to repeat a skill at least 10 times to really make it stick in our brains and master it.
A few are lucky and can do it in one try, but not all of us.

Does your student understand how some day, they may have to repeat skills to keep a paying job in their adult years? Students with the "Boring" attitude often do not want to put in the "repeat" time to do anything that is not needed their "now" life. They do not consider their future life.

It is a "get out of work" technique.
As a parent, you are contributing to a "get out of work" attitude toward your child's later work career, if you give in. You have to maintain patience and keep the repetition going. Your child will benefit in the end.
Special Education tips & ideas

Stepping Stones to Navajo History was written for use in Navajo school's fourth grade classes.

Until the publishing of this book, the Navajo children did not have access to any material about their own Navajo History. It uses biographies of prominent Navajo leaders to tell the tribes history from early 1600's to the present.
A great introduction to Navajo History for any classroom or home school environment.

This book may be purchased in ebook format at: http://navajohistory.ecrater.com/