At a very young age, we realized that Monster was different. He had different interests. He strived to learn all he could about everything he could, and he retained it. That was the craziest part...the retention. He could recall the minute details of something and apply that information to a different area. Once Monster started reading, there was no stopping his quest for knowledge. So why is it that I feel like my child is "left behind"? Even though Monster is advanced in many areas, he has fine motor issues. He was in private occupational therapy for a while and is now working with a private handwriting tutor, who is awesome! But why did I have to search this out on my own? Since letter formation and finger strength are Monster's only "weaknesses", he qualifies for nothing. He doesn't get help for an area in which he's behind, but he also doesn't get challenged in areas in which he's advanced. I'm really very fortunate to have the knowledge that I do have in the education field to help supplement his education on his level. I'm also very fortunate that we have the financial ability to get him help in an area that I know nothing about.
Teachers do the best they can with the resources they are given, but, in reality, we have too many children "left behind". We have children who can't function at the normal classroom level, for whatever reason, yet everyone is expected to achieve the same way. Teachers have an impossible job today. Not only do they have parents who do not take the time to work with their children, but they have officials at state and federal levels making standards for our children but have never actually been in a classroom. With all of the budget cuts, special needs teachers and therapists have crazy case loads and can't possibly give their students the attention that's needed. Gifted programs have been cut completely. The parents of students in the "minority" are left to seek out help or challenges on our own, and that's those of us who take the time to do so. A a parent who cares, it's frustrating to have my child come home and tell me they didn't learn anything new today. As an educator, it was frustrating to have the children I worked with come to me and tell me they were completely lost in class because the teachers didn't have time to explain things to them. As a parent and an educator, it's frustrating to see the amount of children who are being left behind.