Learning disabilities, ADHD and one RUDE teacher. How should I deal with such a situation?

Question

I am in high school and have an IEP for learning disabilities and ADHD. I CAN learn, I just do it differently and it take me more time. In my Biology 20 class, I really struggle a lot to learn the material (although I manage and I am getting an 83%). Every night I go home, and I reread that days lesson in the book, do the homework assigned, then go over it, and then read tomorrows lesson in the book so I do not feel totally lost. This takes me about three hours a night. Part of my LD's insult a reading disability, so I do not absorb a lot this way, but at least I am not totally lost. I learn best through doing with guidance and oral explanations. In class I ask a lot of questions, and it takes me longer to understand than the other kids. My teacher is very rude to me. She says things like "If you can't learn why do you keep asking me questions?" and "How did someone with your intelligence level even make it to senior high school?". Can she say those things to me? What should I do?

Answer 1

OMG your teacher is rude! Just don't listen to her and if you believe the comments she is making are offensive tell ur parents or tell the principal! Your teacher is supposed to be encouraging you not letting you down by saying that stuff.

Answer 2

vichick -

First off, I really want to congratulate you for your hard work and effort.  I hope people tell you how good you are doing (from what you share with us) every day.  It's not easy, and I applaud you.

Regardless of having a learning disability or not, no teacher should ever be rude.  A teacher is many things - mentor, counselor, instructor, tutor, role model, and so much more.  I am sorry to hear how rude your teacher is to you.  You don't deserve it.  I highly doubt you are any of those things if you are getting an 83%.

What should you do?

I would share this with my parents.  I would find out if other classmates hear what she says to you?  Does she tell this to other students?

If she does write comments like this on your paper, I would show them to your parents.  Get your parents support, and ask them to get involved.  You shouldn't have to do this alone.

I might start by going to a teacher who you do have a strong, positive relationship with and ask for guidance.  You might also go to your guidance counselor.  But definitely get your parents involved if they are willing (and I hope they will support you).

Keep asking questions!  You have clearly found the strategies that work for you and help you learn.

I would also suggest getting a small recording device so you can tape your classes and listen to them again and again...  This might help with your difficulty in absorbing written material.

Keep up the great work!  Don't let one person bring you down.  I know it is hard, and it certainly should not be happening.

Good luck!

Rory

http://www.adhdsuccessaudio.com

Answer 3

Hang in there, school is the only situation where you will encounter this ignorance in supposedly intelligent people.

I wonder if this teacher knows of your disabiltiy, she is supposed to be informed. Have your special ed case manager and counselor talk to your teacher. Take your work with the comments as proof. Call the principal in, if necessary. It is illegal to harass any student.

Obviously, she does not know that learning disabled students have average to above average intelligence and require multiple repetitions to learn. She also needs to know that an LD person reading for one hour is as physically exhausting as a five mile hike.

My LD son talked to his high school teacher first, but when I had to, I went. It did help that I had gone to school with the principal, and I taught for the system, too. But I made a lot of phone calls to several teachers about not following his IEP reminding them of the legal obligations to follow his IEP, or correcting his spelling in red ink all over the page. I finally had to explain to his English teacher that no matter how many times she corrected his spelling it would not help. If she felt compelled to point it out she should just underline like MS Word.

He has a Franklin Speller that reads words and definitions aloud that he uses in college for reading and writing select words. Admittedly, it does not catch everything, but it is a great improvement. He also reads aloud his college text. I read his high school texts and a few college pieces when he was so very tired.

Answer 4

Tell your parents strait away, if she doesn't know that your ADHD tell her. that could be the reason she treats you like this & make sure she knows you don't like it. See if another teacher can tutor you untill the end of the school year.

Answer 5

Make copies of anything she writes like this. Have your parents take these to the principal and state that if it is not stopped within 5 days they are going to the superintendent..

Answer 6

The teacher is in the wrong.  Have you shown these comments to your parents?  I would seek out guidance from them and then your principal as well, and it that doesn't work maybe a lawyer....she has no right to do that.  She is there to teach and encourage you to new heights of learning.  Asking questions is what you are to do, how else would ANYONE learn!  

If she knows of your special needs she is wrongfully denying you the right to learn!

I am a parent, 58 and have a grand son with ADDS...if I found out they were doing him wrong I would be on them like white on rice!

You get that education, there is a place for you in this world..."GOD don't make no junk!"  You are a special person!

Answer 7

Oh my she is certainly being very unprofessional and rude, no teacher has the right to belittle or insult a student for spelling mistakes etc.



As you have a IEP, you should be given some form of appropriate class room guidance and support.

Has your parents seen her comments on your assignments?  These sort of comments, would have me down on the school teacher like a ton of bricks, (there have been  many times I have blasted a teacher) my daughter has ADHD/ODD and Dyslexia (I have dyslexia too).

My daughter, like you would spend up to 3 hours a night revising and trying to complete her home work, I would help her as much as possible. Some of her teachers just did not understand how she struggled, I overcame this by gathering as much information about dyslexia and learning disabilities, and how to support a student in the class (I refused to mention her ADHD, due to pre-conceived ideas).

May I suggest you speak to your parents, and tell them that your trying your hardest, and feel hurt and disheartened by the teachers comments, if they are unable to talk to the school, then talk to the school counselor and show them the   comments this teacher has put on your assignments and tests, also do you have anyone in the class who will verify the teachers disparaging comments to you.  

This in one of the reasons I became a qualified Youth & Disability support worker, to support young people like yourself, who is being failed by the education system, and feel there is a better way of supporting students in the class, often with simple strategies.

Keep on trying your best, as you can achieve anything you wish, it may just take you a little longer, but you will get there with the correct support.

Good luck

Answer 8

Be glad you got it in writing-the teacher may have tenure and may be difficult to fire-

I woudl go to teh school board meeting with the written evidence and publically out her-

sadly, a number of regular ed teachers are offended they have students with learning disablities in their class-but thatis no excuse for this type of behavior

it's even possible that she thnks verbal abuse is motivating-that shows she is unqualified

Answer 9

I would have your parents get involved immediately - have them take it to the guidance counselor, the principal, and whoever's in charge of your IEP.  No, your teacher cannot do that.

Your teacher's job is to teach you - to cause you to learn - and she's apparently not even attempting to do that.  Keep your papers that she's written mean comments on and keep a journal of what she says to you and when.  Don't set out on a vendetta against her or anything, but this needs to stop.

You're doing your job - you're trying your best to learn - and although teaching can be highly stressful, she does need to accomodate your needs.  It's not like you're asking for anything that outlandish, you just don't learn well with how she presents material.  It may not be convenient for her, but she needs to either be willing to work with you or the school needs to help you find a peer tutor that can help you through the class.  Either way, she needs to get off her high horse and stop saying and writing such degrading things.

Answer 10

The teacher is a bonehead. She didn't study in teacher school, if she did she would know that poor spelling cannot be corrected.

  Lazy slob.

Answer 11

don't use your diagnosis as an excuse.  speak to the teacher about your concerns.  if you don't feel you get an appropriate response, get your parents involved and speak to the school administrators.  there are options other than public school for an education.

Answer 12

whoa! she is really rude! i know that comments like that can REALLY put you down, but sometimes all you can do is just not let it get to you. since the school year is almost over, i wouldn't worry too much about it. and plus, with an 83% you should be fine. do you have a friend that could maybe come over after school and help you? to go over the material orally with you so you won't have the strain of re-reading it? those are my only suggestions. good luck!

Answer 13

NO, SHE SHOULD NOT BE SAYING THOSE THINGS!

Sorry to hear about that.

If you have informed the school of your learning disabilities and ADHD, they must give you extra time for tests and you should have other allowances that would help you succeed in your classes.  I would highly recommend going to your guidance counselor and mentioning the rudeness of that teacher.  And be sure to go over your rights.  If the school has determined you need extra help, the staff is expected to accommodate for your needs.  Disabilities or no disabilities, a teacher should not talk down to you like that.  It is GREAT that you ask questions, and it is the law that they must accommodate for you in specific areas.  My son could not write his papers well, and was given permission to type them, instead.  He could spell very well, but the handwriting was terrible.  So, I'm sure you can get the help you need.  Go soon, okay?  

GOD BLESS YOU!!

P.S.  Georgie is right!  There are IEP forms that should get the ball rolling for you to receive the extra help.

Answer 14

I don't know whereabouts (I live in the USA) you live but as a mother, I recommend you speaking to your folks first.  Perhaps there is another teacher's class (teaching the same thing) you could take. I've had to help my daughter rework her courses over a similar situation. Your folks should also speak with a member of the school board to alert them to this issue.  I would do that first. I learned a long time ago, when I was dealing with the schools as a mother, that it's a good idea to know your school board members, let them know what's going on and what you plan on doing to rectify the situation at school and that you will communicate further with them in the event that there is no resolution with the school. It's a give and take with members in the schools office, your family and the school board member in your district.

No one with or without a degree should be allowed to talk to another person in a demeaning way. We aren't in the dark ages anymore where calling someone stupid was acceptable along with institutionalizing folks different from us.

You have a diagnosed disability. It's not a disease and it takes a different way of learning to pick things up, but when you finally understand it, you "get it" and it stays with you.

I've had teachers who joked around WITH me when I was in school (respectfully) about my competence or klutziness... but your story appears to not be in the same category. Good luck with your decision and keep us posted here on the progress with your teacher.

Answer 15

I have had two son's with what the public school systems loves to call ADHD.

The first time around I fought with the schools and the teachers.

The second time around I wasn't having any of it  .

I never allowed them to label them as learning disabled because my sons were intelligent they just didn't fit into the environment at school.

Whenever I had a problem I went straight to the district office with my concerns.

Many times they sent a specialist out to tell the teacher or the principal how they were to handle a matter.

I also did a lot of research into home schooling and how children learn.

John Holts books

Raymond & Dorothy Moore's books

All these books can be found at the library

Do not let them treat you like this

It is against the law

Answer 16

Tell your parents. They should be able to complain to the school. She shouldn't be saying those things to you. 83% sounds pretty good to me so you do have intelligence. I don't know if you'd be aloud at high school but if you are try recording stuff then you may remember it better instead of through reading it.

You could also ask your english teacher or aide (If you have one) to assist you with spelling.