I thought of something else.....
Oxymoron defined - a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction. "Make haste slowly" or "More haste less speed"
For example, people incorrectly using a term "retard" as a description. We hear a lot of name calling where we are at. People call the boy a retard regularly....although not in front of us. That would cause what I call a "Sarah Palin Reaction" via a barracuda with lipstick.
If you think about it retard is defined as delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment. "His progress was retarded by his limp". Which means that the definition does NOT mean a mentally disabled issue. It does mean to hold back in terms of progress. Which is totally different.
I wonder how many people think about what they say and if it is opposite of what they really mean.
People ask us how we are doing and if we aren't up to the big answer we just say, "OK we are doing wonderfully well thanks."
The reality of this summer is something totally different: what I mean is, although the boy had a rough summer....he is in college, a place we were told he would never go. He is interning and working with kids and may be working with other kids outside of school (Big ole maybe on this one) He is maintaining good grades, although biology theory almost did him in....and he is trying really hard to keep the right attitude even if he doesn't want to.
This summer has been really hectic (seriously scary busy). We had some stuff going on with Princess....and then we needed to do some more and pretty much the stress level around here has just about done all of us in. The boy actually had to drop the biology theory class. He had never willingly quit much (track and field senior year= organized chaos doesn't count) and the biology theory class was really kind of weird. No text book. What is with these prof's teaching off the cuff? Ergo why I have re-named this class biology theory.
There were times when I thought this prof was really not "pleased" that the boy was in his classroom. Since I am not there this is purely conjecture on my part; but reading the notes and little comments on the homework gave me the impression that this was not a good fit for the boy from the get go. The boy's handwriting is less than stellar and he usually will dictate answers to either us, his tutor or he will type them. This prof would cross out any answers that were not what he thought were done by the boy.....which is strange because like most people, the boy thinks best when discussing answers or typing them out (which did not appear to be an option). We stuck it out until the boy couldn't recover his grade and he had to drop. I am not just poking fingers at the prof. The boy didn't do his part....his concern about Princess and other things related to her really made studying difficult (some nights completely undone). I had mentioned to several people at the beginning of the summer that the class was hard and that the boy was already struggling....and given the emotional component this summer; well the outcome was not surprising.
I don't believe that teachers or professors realize their impact on students. Although many have really great reviews and are on target, there are some that are not on the positive....which does that mean they really suck at what they do or is it that they know their topic but don't know how to teach it?
I am not sure how that works out ultimately but I do know that the boy being on the receiving end of some really quality teaching and some really poor teaching since starting gen education....well the thoughts kind of trouble me a little bit. I know that he was much more self reliant at a younger age and going into a gen school when he did brought down the quality of the education he got.....spelling words "cat", "and" and "tv" come to mind.
Like with all students (even those described as "retards") ONLY work to the highest level expected of them. Isn't that true for most mortals? We do what we must and not much more?
Some days I wish I could do that....the cuter half and I are usually running around doing our bit and spending what is supposed to be a day off running hither and yon without much of a break Although the wine shop stop was a good one....E-----////// Wi--////& S---///::::. Last night the first thing I said after an evening w Princess, the grocery and Tar-get, "This is the first time we have slowed down today. What would it be like to just sit?" The cuter half said, "I think we would go into shock if we sat still and didn't do anything."
He is probably right.
For example, people incorrectly using a term "retard" as a description. We hear a lot of name calling where we are at. People call the boy a retard regularly....although not in front of us. That would cause what I call a "Sarah Palin Reaction" via a barracuda with lipstick.
If you think about it retard is defined as delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment. "His progress was retarded by his limp". Which means that the definition does NOT mean a mentally disabled issue. It does mean to hold back in terms of progress. Which is totally different.
I wonder how many people think about what they say and if it is opposite of what they really mean.
People ask us how we are doing and if we aren't up to the big answer we just say, "OK we are doing wonderfully well thanks."
The reality of this summer is something totally different: what I mean is, although the boy had a rough summer....he is in college, a place we were told he would never go. He is interning and working with kids and may be working with other kids outside of school (Big ole maybe on this one) He is maintaining good grades, although biology theory almost did him in....and he is trying really hard to keep the right attitude even if he doesn't want to.
This summer has been really hectic (seriously scary busy). We had some stuff going on with Princess....and then we needed to do some more and pretty much the stress level around here has just about done all of us in. The boy actually had to drop the biology theory class. He had never willingly quit much (track and field senior year= organized chaos doesn't count) and the biology theory class was really kind of weird. No text book. What is with these prof's teaching off the cuff? Ergo why I have re-named this class biology theory.
There were times when I thought this prof was really not "pleased" that the boy was in his classroom. Since I am not there this is purely conjecture on my part; but reading the notes and little comments on the homework gave me the impression that this was not a good fit for the boy from the get go. The boy's handwriting is less than stellar and he usually will dictate answers to either us, his tutor or he will type them. This prof would cross out any answers that were not what he thought were done by the boy.....which is strange because like most people, the boy thinks best when discussing answers or typing them out (which did not appear to be an option). We stuck it out until the boy couldn't recover his grade and he had to drop. I am not just poking fingers at the prof. The boy didn't do his part....his concern about Princess and other things related to her really made studying difficult (some nights completely undone). I had mentioned to several people at the beginning of the summer that the class was hard and that the boy was already struggling....and given the emotional component this summer; well the outcome was not surprising.
I don't believe that teachers or professors realize their impact on students. Although many have really great reviews and are on target, there are some that are not on the positive....which does that mean they really suck at what they do or is it that they know their topic but don't know how to teach it?
I am not sure how that works out ultimately but I do know that the boy being on the receiving end of some really quality teaching and some really poor teaching since starting gen education....well the thoughts kind of trouble me a little bit. I know that he was much more self reliant at a younger age and going into a gen school when he did brought down the quality of the education he got.....spelling words "cat", "and" and "tv" come to mind.
Like with all students (even those described as "retards") ONLY work to the highest level expected of them. Isn't that true for most mortals? We do what we must and not much more?
Some days I wish I could do that....the cuter half and I are usually running around doing our bit and spending what is supposed to be a day off running hither and yon without much of a break Although the wine shop stop was a good one....E-----////// Wi--////& S---///::::. Last night the first thing I said after an evening w Princess, the grocery and Tar-get, "This is the first time we have slowed down today. What would it be like to just sit?" The cuter half said, "I think we would go into shock if we sat still and didn't do anything."
He is probably right.
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