Mike,
My hostility is not directed at the XMCA discussion but rather at the
politlical infighting occuring within the school district I work in. Even
though the program I work in is a program specifically geared towards the
direct instruction of real world skills and real world functioning we are
beginning to be seen by school district administration (Special Education
Director and her Assistants) as the cure all for the education of all very
difficult E/BD High School aged students. Even though we are supposed to
only be the Vocational and Community Integration model the administration is
telling parents we will teach algebra from texts and tutor students in
Spanish. Niether of these are bad in and of themselves but when all of our
energis are normally spent teaching budgeting, bill-paying, advocacy skills,
doctor appointments and any other functional application of real life skills
it is unefficient to slow all of us down with the teaching of textbook skills.
Once again I posted a response out of emotions and without thinking
specifically about where my emotions were coming from.
It is a valid point that many times students do not bring a proper mindset to
the classroom and subsequently alienate themselves from the material. My
circumstance are certainly different then many teachers on XMCA, in the
future I will attempt to frame my response more approptiately to my specific
circumstance instead of firing of a response that was obviously accusatory.
Either that or I will need to refrain from responding to XMCA after a tough
day at the salt mines.
Eric
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