Relevant vs. Required

[FrazzleDazzle]

I have a self-contained Life Skills room in a high school. I am looking at the state frameworks for what is required for 10th graders in order to plan for a new student who is at least 7 years below grade level. I understand about all students having "access to the general education curriculum," but I can't make myself spend time on "solve problems using vertex-edge graphs" when he can't yet answer the question, "If it is 3:00 now, what time will it be in one hour?" There are so many practical skills he needs, and it is frustrating trying to look for ways to tie in what he really needs to know with what the state says he should be spending time on based soley on his age and not ability.

Rant over.

[dangercat]

I'm with you. I am in my social studies methods class right now. I have to write up lesson plans using the local cities benchmark requirements for each grade level that I am writing for. I have to say that a lot of what is a requirement seems to leave a lot to be desired. I seem to remember school being harder when I was going through it. Plus trying to tie in multiple learning ideas with the concepts that I have to plan out just seems impossible.

[jsfowler]

FrazzleDazzle, I feel for you. My mother-in-law is an FMD teacher and she complains that they want her to teach her kids all these concepts when what they really need to be learning is how to take care of themselves in the real world - washing clothes, cooking, writing a check, counting money, telling time, writing their name, etc. There are days when we see our FMD teacher in the hallway crying and we stop to give her hugs. She is crying because she is frustrated and she worries about what will happen to her kids when they leave her.

[RhotnSped]

I am a Middle School teacher... teaching EMR kids... some can not tie thier shoes, write their name, or even go to the restroom by themselves- but I am expected to teach them the parts of a telescope, and the different types of dinosaurs... I just do not understand the point in that... IF they knew that or even needed to know that... why are they in my class in the first place??
Thanks... my rant is over for now too! :D

[dangercat]

I am a Middle School teacher... teaching EMR kids... some can not tie thier shoes, write their name, or even go to the restroom by themselves- but I am expected to teach them the parts of a telescope, and the different types of dinosaurs... I just do not understand the point in that... IF they knew that or even needed to know that... why are they in my class in the first place??
Thanks... my rant is over for now too! :D

Do they enjoy the lessons that you are teaching them at least?

[RhotnSped]

Yes, they seem to enjoy it... Today we were having a discussion on things that would sink or float.. so I let them pick out items and we tried it out... My problem is... how is this going to benefit them? I have to *score* them and turn it in to the State Department and this effects our test scores...
I just wonder if the people who come up with these things realize that they are expecting mentally handicapped (challenged) kids to do this...

[sarypotter]

This is SO frustrating. How am I supposed to sort animals by baby vs. adult if I can neither sort nor recognize what an animal is? And sure I might be able to LEARN to recognize an animal and to complete some type of sorting activity -- but I also don't know how to stop when you say "STOP, THERE'S A CAR COMING!" and shouldn't learning that skill take priority?