One Track, Institutionalized Thinking
One track, institutionalized thinking. This is what came to me the other morning as I sit here listening to music and enjoying my Dandelion tea.
One track, institutionalized thinking. Another article popped up on my facebook about schools need to open because of students long term mental health.
Why is public school the magical answer, the miracle cure for everything? One track, institutionalized thinking.
I know several families that are homeschooled. Guess what, I see less anxiety, adhd, and depression in their kids.
I have seen more students damaged by public (and sometimes private) schools. I have two students right now who are going into fifth grade. One is reading at a kindergarten level and the other is reading at an end of first grade-beginning second grade level. Math is just as bad. The anxiety and behavior that I see as a result makes it that much harder to reach them some days. The schools solution, label them as adhd, and give them more of the same instruction that wasn't working before. It took a family with a lawyer to get the district to contract with me for reading. Now the district wants me to teach both boys at the same time and do a 40 minute instead of a 60 minute block.
I have another student in a different district that struggles with reading, but math is fine. The school’s solution is to tell the family she has adhd. Well, she does 75 minutes of work for me on zoom in a small group and is able to attend. Does she take breaks, absolutely! She’s eight!
But we need to get all these kids back into the brick and mortar buildings.
One track,institutionalized thinking.
We need to put kids who already weren't getting their needs met (but the school says they were and everything is the parent's fault) back into a building that is going to give them even less of what they need. Let's make them stand 6 ft away from all their friends at recess. The reading teacher is going to teach the special education students using zoom from a different from while the students sit at a table in the back of the room on chrome books. How is thise going to help their mental healthy?
Let's make them wear masks all day, but use large amounts of toxic chemicals to clean the buildings.
I'm not saying all kids are disserviced, but pushing them back into a public school like sheep isn't the magic fix. Sitting them in front of a screen for 6 hours isn't a fix either.
Yes, some students will be fine, but how many need a different approach. Every child is different! There is no cookie cutter solution.
Instead of looking for a cookie cutter solution, let’s look at each child as an individual. Please reach out if you are looking for help working with your child’s school or figuring out alternative plans.
