This morning I’m off for my first day as a teacher at an all-ADD private school. Students won’t be arriving until next Wednesday, but I am excited about the opportunity to work with them in a group as large as 15. That is 5-10 times more high-need students than I’m used to. I’m sure it will prove exciting. You can count on me to share my experiences and insights with you as the school year progresses.
One way this school has impressed me is the way that they handle academic goals as opposed to developing social skills. In my experience, parents will happily spend tens of thousands of dollars (if they can afford it) in order to remodel their kid’s report card, but the moment you tell them that this will help their child build social skills and make friends, the pocketbook goes under lock and key.
As students are processed for attendance at this school, the administration goes into detail with the parents about what the parents ultimately want for their child. Inevitably, the answer ends up revolving around independence, happiness and friends. This frees us up to work on those vital areas that ultimately decide the child’s fate.
If you are working with a challenged population of children, remember that a child can flunk out of high school and still become the founder and CEO of a major company. But even with straight A’s, a child with inadequate social skills won’t even be able to work as a janitor. Make sure you teach appropriately.
Good luck!
Allen Dobkin
