Korean Job Discussion Forums

SeoulShakin · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

My second graders (elementary) are MIA. They just didn't show up. Well, one student did. He's got a form of autism, and is usually down in the room for special needs kids where he has a teacher there to work on his own curriculum. He's a good natured kid really.

Well he showed up for English class, and the others didn't. Right now he's colouring me a Christmas picture, being perfectly content. It keeps him calm to colour. When he's finished I'll go over one on one and see if I can get him to memorize the colours of his crayons. Probably not though. You know there's been some kind of miscommunication when this happens though. Not that I mind, he is a good kid, but I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be one on one with the students.

Should I bring him back downstairs or to his homeroom teacher, or leave him be colouring contently?

poet13 · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 7:38 pm Post subject:

I think you have a pretty cool opportunity to make a difference with one kid. I would keep working with him and just leave the door open.

GaryCooper · Joined: 10 Jun 2006

I'd be uncomfortable about a teacher getting on the Internet in the middle of class, which I believe is what you said you did. It's not exactly keeping your eye on the ball, and it probably looks like you're just screwing around. Imagine what the child might say at home. "Teacher gave me something to color while he did Internet. It was fun." Parents may not like that so much. Maybe that's not how it happened, but from what you had said, someone can come to that conclusion.

You could have him do some kind of activity and watch everything he does, like a hawk, so you can soak in every detail of how he deals with the task, the kinds of ideas he comes up to solve it, language and/or other things he uses, etc. I think that's a better approach than to give him some busy work and solicit the Internet for suggestions.

If you have a one-on-one situation like this, I'd go over something more academic with him. This is a beautiful opportunity to deal with this one kid, and the number one thing to do with him is colors? There might have been something much more important to go over with him.

I'm not passing judgment on what you have done. I wasn't there and I think this lesson, as you described, cannot be evaluated in this forum. Everything probably worked out well. So if the above comments of mine are crud, feel free to disavow them. I mean this only in the spirit of encouraging constructive ideas.

Good luck with the child. I have no LD kids where I teach and I am a bit envious that you have one. I hope it works fairly efficiently, having him at your institution.