Raise or Raze?

Even though it may be difficult and something that you would normally run away from, sometimes a teacher must act as a gatekeeper. Schools have many different expectations and requirements handed down to them from the district office. I have found that the first thing that a school looks for when hiring a new teacher (my opinion is based on interview questioning) is whether or not the teacher is going to fly solo, be contrary and work outside of the established system; or, is the teacher going to be a team player and tow the party line? Because of a teacher’s commitment to the administrative responsibilities inherent in their position, they sometimes have to do some pretty hard things. If there is a student who just can’t read or write, then it is absolutely necessary to bring this to the administration’s attention. While it may seem like it is ratting out the student, it is actually helpful for them. If they need extra support or help, or if they cannot learn at the same pace as their classmates, then it will really be helpful for them. I had such a student named Raphael. I really enjoyed having him in class but I noticed that when I would ask for a half-page response to a reading assignment, he could only write a couple of words and they were not even written in the form of a sentence. I acquired a standardized aptitude test for him to take which showed that he was 5 grades below his peers. There was a resource class during the same three periods that I had him and he was transferred to it. It was hard for a while because I wanted to be the one to help him but I was not trained in Special Ed and I was not trained to work with students at such a low level. I knew he went to the right place and that it was the best thing for him.