I love to teach. I should have gotten a Master's degree in teaching instead of Social Work! Certainly there are more and better jobs available in teaching.
The tutoring is interesting because the students I have are each so different. Since it's a jail they are there 2 to 8 months max and the turnover is fast so my students change. I have students learning English, who dropped out of school and need a little help in a few areas, and students who have severe learning disabilities.
I have no background in teaching people with dyslexia. It's interesting to try to figure out what would help each student. I've combed the library and my own books for help. I have worked on phonics with one man for four months. We made up cards with beginning sounds of works and ending sounds of words. It needs to be fine tuned. It was to be my last day with him, but he came in and said his laundry job asked him to work then in his tutoring time. Maybe he didn't want to say goodbye.
Another man I've worked with for 4 months is Mexican and struggling to learn English. He's done a lot of building and landscaping work. I've brought in landscaping books so he could learn some of that vocabulary in English. He's fun to work with. He told me today he wants me to make up a certicate for him before he leaves, that looks official. He pointed to a certificate framed on the wall. He went on with the details he wanted included! I guess even though he doesn't have a chance of getting his GED before he leaves in June, he wants something to show his efforts! So I will do that.
I have another group of mostly very young men, mostly black, who were in special education until they dropped out. I ask them about their background in reading, for example, if that is what they want to work on first. They say how they went from grade to grade but didn't really progress. I hear pain in their voice, shame and frustration. School becomes very negative for them as they can't keep up with most students and are shamed for being in special ed. One I had for the first time today said "well I was a bad boy". He said he'd act out and then he'd be suspended. I told him I've heard those stories many times before. I hope they I've instilled some hope that we can start where they left off years ago and make some progress! It certainly makes ME feel good when they come in and smile at me and seem eager to get to work learning.
As I've mentioned before, my younger daughter is mentally disabled. She was born that way. She had "infant stimulation" specialists visit once a week. I did family day care for 4 years. I used flash cards with her. I taped her speech. I read to her. The highest her IQ ever tested was 60 yet she reads at a 4th grade level and loves to read. She will start reading ingredients on the sides of food labels! However she couldn't give you change for a dollar.
As I hear these stories from these young men, I have to wonder, what was special about the education they got? For all the costs, the extra special ed assistants in the classroom, where are the results? If a peron's IQ is normal range shouldn't they be able to catch up with extra help and go back to regular classes? Not get to 10th grade and read at a 3rd grade level?
I would never have decided to teach in special education. I thought it would be "too close to home" with MY pain with my daughter's disability. However as I work with these men, I draw on my experiences teaching and working with her, and also the many students with learning and cognitive disabilities I taught as a substitute teacher in the Minneapolis schools for over three years. There is a waiting list for my tutoring services. Reading seems to be the primary problem area for most of these men. I hope that I can increase my skills and learn how to teach them more effectively.
These young men need to be able to work and support themselves and a family. Many do have children.
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