My sons teacher is wanting to be lazy again.
By margeryann
@margeryann (1845)
United States
February 15, 2011 11:36pm CST
People that have heard me talk on here know my situation with my 4th grade,9 year old sons teacher.I will explain things a little for those of you that don't know. My son is in special ed and he is a slow learner.The teacher wasn't wanting to help him and wasn't wanting me to help him with his math. He doesn't know the math steps and was coming home with math homework and what he did at school he got all wrong because his teacher wasn't helping him with his math.
I told the teacher that he wasn't going to learn how to do his math if he wasn't shown and didn't get help until he could figure out how to do it his self. Not to do it for him but help him.
Well, She finally started helping him and then would stop so I would have to mention it again. Here lately she has been helping him more.When he has homework I always do so he can memorize the math steps. He doesn't know his multiplication tables either.
Now that I explained that so everyone knows what I'm talking about. Today I get a letter from his teacher it goes exactly like this:
Mark continues to struggle with his multiplication. I started him out using a calculator today.This is a compensation skill that I feel he will need to help him to be successful with the multiplication.Also,he will be able to use the calculator on the state test.I am sending one home with him daily,even if he doesn't have homework I hope you can help work with him.Please let me know what you think of this. I just know that he was getting very frustrated the other way and seems to be excited about using the calculator.
This is what I wrote to her about this letter:
I'm alright with him using the calculator to do the multiplication step, since he doesn't know his multiplication but not to do the whole problem. He won't learn the steps if he doesn't do the steps no more.You still need to make sure he is doing the work right,so he can learn how to do it right.The way I'm wanting him to do it with calculator "I showed the multiplication problem 572 multiplied by 88 and showed the work" The way I don't want him to do it. I noticed on what he completed at school this is the way he did it " I showed 572 multiplied by 88 and just gave the answer.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I don't mind students using calculators to verify answers, but I agree with you. He should show the work and know how to do the steps. It sounds like this teacher needs to be replaced or something. Is there another class at his school he could be placed in that has a better teacher? Does he have an IEP for getting help with math? There should be a tutor available at the school and if there isn't then the school should have to pay for one. It doesn't seem right that he isn't getting taught how to do the steps of how to do a problem. Would it be possible to get some kind of workbook (at an educational supply store) or go to a math website for a free download? If you need help finding one, let me know and I will look. I'm sure there are some out there. In fact you could probably find something on youtube. I hope that you are able to get this sorted out soon. Good luck!
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I don't know if it would help or not, but I did a little websearch and found a few math websites. Try going to http://www.webmath.com/index3.html (this is not a reflink, just a math website) and look under multiplication. It shows the steps of how to solve the problem! Look under k-8 math to find the multiplication section. I hope this helps. Just so you know, I just finished my educational technology course and that is one of the things that was suggested (using technology to help special needs students). Give it a try! It might help (and it wouldn't take any extra work!).
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
17 Feb 11
Thank you that is very cool. When my older son was in High School and was struggling in Algebra. This would have been a good site for him. I looked all over the internet then for help.You're very good at finding things online.Thank you again. Lots of great help!
1 person likes this
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
16 Feb 11
Thank you for commenting and for your good advice. He is in special ed and there is only one special ed class at that school.He goes in the regular class for Science, Social Studies,Art and PE but the rest of the time he is in the Special Ed class. Is IEP does mention that he needs help and they will prepare him in getting use to doing things himself. I agree he does need to get use to doing things himself but things that he can't figure out on doing he still needs help on.
They don't have tutors at this school. My son that is 20 know went to school there too when he was younger and when he went to Middle school he started having more problems with the math and they wouldn't help him because they said that they don't have tutors at that school and the book gives examples. The books examples weren't good enough to figure out.
I am going to have him practice his time tables during summer break and do a little bit of math problems and see if he can learn Spanish online.I'm not going to over work him during the summer though because I don't want to burn him out on school when he doesn't like school already.
He has so much homework that we don't have time to practice them right now except for the weekends and I don't want to have him work then too when he is already discouraged about having to do so much work.
1 person likes this
@dark_joev (3034)
• United States
16 Feb 11
Well I have to say while knowing the steps work for when a calc isn't around as our tech becomes more in our lives doing long form of any math problem is going to be phased out. In my school District during Highschool they actually avoided the entire part of the doing long form or making sure we all remembered how to do it. I actually don't know all of my multiplication as calculators are used everywhere. My phone has it my keyboard has short cut for it. So I mean long form is good and all but really won't be used that often. I actually can't think of when you would want to even use it. At the higher levels they are going to require him to have a ti-84 which will be able to do not only simple math but also equations with ease so math is going to be more and more here is how you work you calculator to do the problem in fact that is what all my Math classes where except for Science (Physics)
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
16 Feb 11
Thank you for commenting. I agree that later on like in High School they will use calculators and later on in life most adults will to save time since we can't think of hard multiplication things on the top of our head so instead of figuring out the problem on paper most of the time we use calculators but in Elementary they usually don't have calculators. If I let him use a calculator and not learn the steps next year the problem will even be longer and they aren't going to let him use a calculator or if the teacher he has is still there since he is in Special Ed and lets him do it again next year. There might be one year that a teacher won't let him use a calculator which they usually don't and he wouldn't know what to do and he wouldn't know simple multiplication problems either because 500 multiplied by 50 on a calculator doesn't tell you what 5 multiplied by 5 is so he wouldn't even know easy problems later on. Sometimes you don't have a calculator in life. For example you want to know if it is cheaper to get a large can of something or 2 small cans of something that equal the same ounces and you don't have a calculator.
You have a good day.
@dark_joev (3034)
• United States
16 Feb 11
After like 3rd grade they let us use calculators for everything.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
17 Feb 11
They don't his school. Lucky you!LOL! I have a son that graduated already and they don't at that school until High School and can't all the time then either. In High School it has to be a regular calculator none that has algebra steps or anything like that on it.
So, your pretty lucky. Thank you for replying back!
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
16 Feb 11
Hi Margeryann you are right!! That was the way I allowed the use the calculator to do the multiplication step and not the complete answer. Work hard with him. And stand on your appreciation. Blessings!... Dainy
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
17 Feb 11
Thank you for commenting. Your right the calculator does help very much on doing the multiplication and it can help him to learn his multiplication in another way as long as he does the steps.Thank you for your kind words. You have a good week!
@StephanieAnnC (4274)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I stumbled over my multiplication as well. I must agree that the teacher seems to be lazy, but you also hae to take in the fact that he's not the only student in the class. With that said, I feel like she should have worked with you more instead of resorting to giving him a calculator. He does indeed need to learn how multiplication works without the use of the calculaot, so I agree.
I feel like she should have given him the calculator as a guide, because a calculator does not show him how he arrived at the answer. She should have spoken to you first and seen what would be the best way to help Mark.
My parents used to do flash cards with me when I was younger. Maybe that could help. Or use things he likes. Like 'Mark had 2 cookies after dinner and since he cleaned his room, I allowed him to have twice as many as he had after dinner. How many cookies did he eat in total?' Or something like that. Maybe that might help? Good luck! 
And good luck! @margeryann (1845)
• United States
17 Feb 11
Thank you for commenting. I agree with a lot of schools have lots of students so they can't give so much help with a student. His school the special ed class in some parts of the day just has him in it when I go there to pick him up from being sick or something or sometimes just 3. This is a real small school.
I'm like you the calculator would be a good guide to try to learn his multiplication tables and to help him while he is learning them to do the steps but he can't learn the multiplication doing the whole problem on the calculator and just giving the answer.
He is so busy with homework that we don't have time right now to practice his multiplication except while he is doing his math. I sometimes have him write for example 9 multiplied by 1 until he gets to the 9 multiplied by the number he needs to try to get him to memorize it that way.
This summer I have it planned to practice with flash cards and have him write his multiplication table a certain amount of times each but I don't want his summer break to be filled with work so he doesn't get burned out more so of school. So, we will work on it a little bit each day.
@sy0712 (155)
• China
17 Feb 11
I think parents in the treatment of children's learning problems always especially scrupulous especilly harsh.But sometimes excessive attention in graces for children are a kind of unknown pressure ,pressure is too great cause children sometimes can produce a kind of anti psychological ,so although we do not advocate spoiling,also not be too severe also respected!
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
19 Feb 11
Thank you for commenting. I agree with you. It depends on the situation though.You have a good week.
@proyo619 (5)
•
18 Feb 11
Since the teacher says that it is very difficult to understand to your son in math ,
i think the teacher have no respect towards to your son because they thought that it gives them headache while teaching to your student. The most important thing is to guide student very nicely as possible so that the student can concentrate on it.
Then we come calculator , calculator is good thing but using calculator repeatedly is dangerous because the student should be know the basic thing by free calculating by hand.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
19 Feb 11
Thank you for commenting. That is how I feel. Calculators can be good to learn but not too do all of the work and giving up on kids learning isn't good on the kids.I agree with everything your saying. You have a good weekend!
