Education Careers >> In the Workplace >> Special Issues
Special Issues
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Posted 2 months ago Today was the first day of school and provided a perfect example of why a teacher needs to know student issues before school starts. Fifth period class (starts at 11:15) I have a apecial educ. aide in the classroom and in the morning I had been provided with a list of 9 students on IEPs but not all the IEPs, plus I had not had time to read the ones I'd gotten. So I knew this one girl had an IEP but I did not have her IEP. When handing out papers I noticed that she couldn't follow through with passing papers to the side, so I adjusted how I was handed out papers so she didn't have to pass any. At the end of the class I tidied up and went to the lunch room where I saw this girl standing in the lunch line staring at stuff on the floor. (It is now 12:15) I looked down and there were two hot dogs smashed on the floor along with her books and papers. She was holding a file folder that she had put a hot dog into. I got her to pick up the papers and to put the smashed food on a separate tray for disposal, but it was extremely difficult. I then went to look for her aide to alert the aide to the problem. The aide went looking for a file for this student (!) and came back to tell me that the student was diabetic and was supposed to go to the nurse before my class!!! This I should have known! While I thought the student was mentally challenged, she was actually having an insulin problem. After she ate her insulin was at 75. It was probably a 40 while in my class. I felt horrible because a) I didn't know she was a diabetic, b) I didn't recognize the confusion as a medical problem, and c) I made her pick up her things and clean up the floor when I should have been rushing her to the nurse! At the end of the day I got a paper that alerted me to the fact that this student is diabetic. Who knows when I find out what her educational needs are. Unbelievable. Thanks for listening. Children are the living messages we will send into a time we will not see. – John W. Whitehead |
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| Posted 2 months ago Some issues are obviously more urgent (not more important of course) than others. Especially if this person had a history of not being able to self regulate or was relatively newly diagnosed (i.e hasn't learned the well practiced diabetic routine yet). Glad it didn't come to any worse than it did!! Well told story. I sympathize. Been in similar situations but none with as much potential to go way wrong. |
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| Posted 2 months ago I'm not familiar with diabetes and the only other crash I'd seen was a seizure (wicked glad this one didn't go this way!) I'm mad at myself for not recognizing a medical issue, but I think I'm being unfair to myself for thinking I should've been able to. I don't know. Children are the living messages we will send into a time we will not see. – John W. Whitehead |
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| Posted 2 months ago If you could have all the better, but you could definitely be expected to. Diabetic episodes are misunderstood all the time and have resulted in people being booked on drunk driving charges and having treatment withheld with negative results, even after the individual attempted to advise others of their issue.
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| Posted 2 months ago sanmccarron says ...
You had no way of knowing! You did what you could given your experience & knowledge. What a situation, Sandra! I'm upset at your school just reading your story. I hope you don't continue to beat yourself up over the situation. It doesn't seem like it was a medical issue that was at all obvious, and while you do teach science, you're not a doctor! |
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| Posted 2 months ago There is clearly a problem with the way the school handles these issues, but I also wonder where the parent is on this. My son has a condition that could possibly cause him to go deaf suddenly. Should that happen, he needs to be taken to his doctor immediately for a steroid injection. We discovered this condition when he was in kindergarten. Since then, he is now starting ninth grade, every teacher (including subject teachers in middle school), every principal and every school nurse has gotten an annual hand-delivered letter from my wife and I on the first day of school alerting them to this condition and what needs do be done. Tomorrow is his high school orientation and while he is being oriented I will be at the school delivering the letters and talking with the school nurse. If children have medical needs it is the parent's responsibility, even more than the school's, to make sure the child's teachers are aware of the condition and know what to do about it. "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." ~~ Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818) |
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| Posted 2 months ago MisterD says ...
Bad editing by me above was supposed to day "but you could definitely NOT be expected to." |
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| Posted 2 months ago Deven, one parent died last week due to diabetes complications. The other is in a residential home, having lost both legs due to diabetes complications. The child is in foster care, hence the reason for new to the school, but still no excuse because when registered the condition was disclosed. Children are the living messages we will send into a time we will not see. – John W. Whitehead |
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| Posted 2 months ago Wow, poor girl. Yes, the school should have put a sign with big red letters in front of you telling you about the girl's condition. "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." ~~ Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818) |
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| Posted 2 months ago Where was the special education teacher?????!!!!! All accoutability is on the special education teacher. He/She is responsible not only for the student, but also the 1:1 Aide. The special education teacher should have had a printed schedule for the 1:1 Aide which includes bringing the student to the nurse's office before your class. You are not at fault! I would seriously have a talk with your administration about this. If the special education teacher is new, then the blame should go on his/her mentor. And yes I mean blame. Someone has to take the consequences and be shown that the job of disclosing very important information to a student's aide and regular education teachers is the first step to be taken and preferably before school. A simple note in the mailbox, an email, a phone call, something....I am all fired up! Definitely go to your administration and discuss this issue. I fear what might happen the next time someone is too lazy to communicate. If the special education teacher was hired the day before school, then I blame the special education office. Children are assigned to the job not the person. So the special education office had plenty of time to diseminate important information to the school and teachers. People just don't want to do their job! Coffee is too important. AAAAHHHGGGGGAAAA! I know I am on the negative side, but I rather be negative and proactive then have a false, positive outlook of "oh, that won't happen" and have to react to a situation where the child is suffering. |
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| Posted 2 months ago Poor girl! You are definitely not at fault! You should have been notified! It is the responsibility of the IEP specialist, the school nurse, but even more so... the parents. As a parent myself, I would have made it my business to notify the teacher in person beforehand. On the first day of class, I'd also be there to remind the teacher, nurse, the IEP person and anyone else I could think of. I think teachers (and staff) should have a way of identifing students with medical problems. For instance, why can't they be required to wear a (subtle) bracelet or necklace so teachers at least have a reminder... or why doesn't IEP staff have special instructions for each "at risk" student...and check it at the start of each school day then make sure the instructions are carried out. I think what should happen next at your site is a discussion (with administrators) on ways to avoid this ever happening again. This could have turned out much worse! |
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| Posted 2 months ago This could have turned out so much worse than it did. I apologized to the girl today for not understanding what she needed and she smiled and said "no problem, don't worry about it". Aprilm is right that I should go to my administration and make sure they understand the bullet that was dodged. My administration, however, has been sooooo less than supportive (old-time friends know what I'm talking about), that I have not yet spoken with them. Argh! - ladies and gentlemen give me courage to do this. Children are the living messages we will send into a time we will not see. – John W. Whitehead |
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| Posted 2 months ago You can do it!! You have every right to speak up in the best interest of both yourself and your students. It's part of their job to make changes to these types of policies & processes. I'm sure you have all of TheApple behind you! |
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| Posted 2 months ago Sandra, you have tenure. There is nothing they can do to you. Be strong. "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." ~~ Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818) |
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| Posted 2 months ago Dear Sandra, Give you the courage? Sandra, far from being in need of that quality, you are one of those who inspires and supplies it. I know you are going to do what needs to be done, and you will do it eloquently. |
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| Posted 2 months ago THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE KICK IN THE BUTT! I went first thing this morning and expressed my concerns. The Principal was completely unaware of the incident. I do feel that he will follow up with it and hopefully changes will be made. PLUS, as I got up to leave he stopped me and had me sit down again and said he wanted to thank me for... and he named five different things I'd done lately... being a team player and stepping in where help was needed. I not only got something off my chest, but I got an "atta girl" at the same time. Children are the living messages we will send into a time we will not see. – John W. Whitehead |
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| Posted 2 months ago ATTA GIRL!!!! You did what we, as teachers, should all try to do: effect change for the better (my goodness - I sound a little like an Obama bumper sticker.) And you provided another example of something I've experienced so often in my life: how, even though you fully expect to suffer unpleasant consequences but you go ahead and do the hard, right thing anyway, many times you are surprised at how well it all works out.
Congratulations!! |
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| Posted 2 months ago sanmccarron says ...
Way to go, Sandra! "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." ~~ Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818) |
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| Posted 2 months ago I knew you could do it, Sandra! Congratulations! It must feel so good to get the positive, encouraging response you received from speaking up for what you knew was right. YAY! |
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| Posted about 1 month ago I just saw this and I'm sorry that happened. We all have bad days. I used to work with children that had a lot of issues. I usually pick up quickly that something is wrong with them. We have also had training in children's medical conditions so that's helped. It's correct that the special ed. teacher should have made you aware of the child's condition. My husband is diabetic so I know how they start acting when they don't feel well. My children and I are asthmatic so I know how we act when we're on our medications. I know my son and I get very hyper on the meds. but we need them. I know because I live with medical conditions but if you are healthy you have no way of knowing someone can react in the way your student did. I also know special ed. teachers that don't go to their assignments. I know I go to mine but a lot of teacher's say they're too busy and don't go to the classes with the students like they should. It's so sad that you and that child had to suffer when someone could have told you prior of his or her medical condition. |
Thankfully things turned out okay, with no seizures! I also hope that the school's office will use the situation to handle similar ones better in the future. What a first day!! How does it feel otherwise to be back in the classroom?