I am curious to know if anyone has ever had to deal with a situation such as this.... my 17 year old son has had some issues in one of his classes. His instructor is foreign with a heavy accent. He has indicated that on numerous occasions he has tried to get clarification as to what was being said in a lecture setting. He was removed from class last week as a result of his "supposedly talking in class" The next day he went to class and was told to leave the classroom until a parent teacher conference was held. I never received notification of anything. It took me contacting the school to find out why he had been removed. After having a conference with the instructor and the student liason, I am remarkably angry. Several referral letters have been written by the instructor and not filed. Hence, no communication. He claims that he is past his tolerance level with my son and that he is DONE. When I expressed my concern with the fact that I have never been notified of the problems, he admitted fault in the fact that he chose not to involve me. My son tried to explain that he is having a difficult time understanding the instructor. The instructor cut him off in mid discussion and told him that it was basically no excuse for talking in class. (in the past he has been in trouble for talking when he was in fact asking another student what the teacher said). When I addressed the concern of the language barrier and suggested that perhaps my son could raise his hand when he needs something to be repeated to understand the words that are being spoken, the instructor told us that no, he had to wait until after class to get clarification and that there isn't a teacher out there that would allow such interruptions in the classroom. that his training in his field allows him to "sense" what the student is going to ask and that it is inappropriate for interruptions of that nature because it wouldn't allow him to complete his lecture for the day. The meeting ended on a sour note as I came to the point where it became understood that this instructor was not going to compromise in any way shape or form and I concluded the meeting. My question is this, what steps would you take to resolve this issue? I have contacted the assistant principal and am awaiting for him to get involved in this situation. He agrees that things have not been handled correctly and is going to attempt to resolve this situation but the issue is a bit out of his hands as this is all happening at the skill center that my son attends rather than the high school. HELP?
So...while I appreciate lots of the feedback that I am receiving, let me just add that I am fully aware of the fact that my son has been part of the problem, he has on numerous occasion come to me with these concerns. The teacher has never responded to my attempts to resolve our prior issues. My son has tried to raise his hand for clarification and when he tells the teacher that he is not understanding him he is told to pay closer attention. Yes, it was difficult for even myself to understand him as well and I too had to ask him to repeat himself.this teacher came into our meeting on the defensive and would not let me comment on anything without jumping down my throat. It was after I demanded to be allowed to say what I had to say that he finally remained quiet and let me speak. The sad thing is that his demeanor was very poor and made me feel as if I was being backed into a corner. I can only imagine how the students feel in his presence. No...my son is no angel...however, he is in no way the only cause of this issue. This teacher is so set on his ways that when I asked for a bit of compromise from him he flat out refused. That to me is sad.
Well, who is the teacher's direct supervisor at the skill center? I think THAT is the person I would be talking to.
Is this high school? Demand that your son be transferred to another class next semester, where he can understand the teacher. And then be sure to tell your son not to talk in class.
The comment from the instructor that he can "sense" what the student is about to ask is complete b.s., and anyway, a student should be allowed to ask questions in class. A class shouldn't be a monologue. All research shows that students don't learn well that way.
I may not have the popular opinion, but your son was at fault in this too. Asking another student what the teacher said IS talking in class. What your son should have done was raise his hand and ask the teacher for clarification. I consider it rude to talk about the teacher in this manner while the teacher is standing right there.
In college, (and in life) your son is going to encounter teachers and assistants with accents. He needs to start learning now how to respectfully and appropriatly interact with those with foriegn accents. I'm sorry your son got in trouble, but he was disprespectful. Your son needs to start taking responsibility for his actions, and deal with the consequences.
I do agree the teacher could have handled it much much better, but your son did have a significant role in all this. Have this be a teaching moment and teach him how to better treat those who are different than us.
Did you only discuss this with the teacher or did you also bring in the principal? This needs to go up the food chain. If the assistant principal cannot help, then ask him who can. Be a squeaky wheel.
In my SD's school, one of the VPs was also the student-teacher relations liaison, so when she was having a lot of trouble with a particular teacher (who, frankly, was sub-par but lashed out at SD due to her own insecurities), SD went to that particular VP to get him to help. We did encourage her to do as much as she could on her own, but she asked us for help because the teacher was targeting her and two friends and doing things like deliberately assigning a much harder project to SD and then not giving her any instruction about it. Trying to make her fail. SD stuck it out in the class b/c if she didn't it would mess up her schedule senior year, but when she received an F on the final, we asked the school to pull the physical copy of her test and re-grade it. She actually earned an A and we don't believe for one second that the F was a "clerical error." Sometimes a teacher is beyond what they can handle on their own.
There has to be someone at the skill center equivalent to the assistant principal. When your son was sent out of the class, where did he go? Was he sent TO someone? I would find out.
You may also find in your talks that you are not alone. When SS had a bad Calculus teacher MANY parents went to the school about it. We were not alone in our concerns about how he was teaching (he taught AP and basically dragged all his classes through the AP curriculum, which he didn't teach well anyway, regardless of what level they signed up for. Students asking for help were told they weren't paying attention in class and directed to find tutoring).
At this point in the year, I would look to get my child moved to another class if possible. Even if the teacher is not RIGHT, he has decided to write off your son and refuses to teach him. He isn't telepathic. He's simply refusing to do part of his job. He admits he hasn't followed protocols to contact you before it came to this. What did the student liaison have to say about the no contact? I bet he didn't file them because then he'd have to be accountable and back it up. It really sounds like beyond anything else, he's just a jerk who wants no questions about anything in his class.
In the meantime, tell your son to basically keep his nose clean. Don't talk, even to ask what was said. Call a friend after school if there's no time to talk after class. Make notes about questions so he can look up information online if the teacher's information is unclear. Make sure he gives the teacher little to complain about before a resolution can be reached.
Since your son is 17, I'm not entirely surprised that you were not contacted immediately. Generally, kids his age are able to handle a variety of school situations. This time, it does need your involvement.
"the instructor told us that no, he had to wait until after class to get clarification"
Although he does sound like a jackapple of a man, the above quote is a perfectly reasonable expectation. It is how most college-level lecture classes operate, so your son will to adapt if he is getting further education after high school.
I hate to say it, but I do have that Spidey sense that your son is probably no angel here...
I think you are going through the correct process, the meeting was unproductive and the teacher himself says he refuses to tolerate your son anymore, so the next thing to do is ask for help from a 3rd party at the school. You see your son and the situation one way, he sees it another, perhaps the AP will be able to see the big picture and decide what's best. I would tell the AP that you support teacher change if that's what he/she thinks is best, but you defer to his opinion. The AP will have the behind the scenes info necessary to know if the situation is salvageable or should cut your losses and change his schedule.
I work in a high school and I think teacher changes are usually not the answer to teacher/student conflicts. This case seems to be at a standstill though. Definitely confer with AP. Good luck.
I am partly with the teacher on this one. Your son - even if asking a neighbor "What did he say?!" shouldn't be talking in class. It is distracting to those around him. AND you son should have taken the time to meet with the teacher the first day he had trouble understanding him to speak up and let the instructor know the trouble he was having. However, I do think the teacher should allow for breaks in his lecture to allow for questions or clarification.
BUT you are past that point. I would encourage your son to be more proactive moving forward. Outside of class he should ask the teacher if he can record the lectures using a digital recording device on the lecturn (not his desk, it will pick up ambient noise of his fellow students) additionally, many times teachers speak from outlines and are willing to share with students if they ask. so, also, he should request, in writing both of these things as his steps to help eliminate the barrier and overcome the issues of talking in class.
I say, In writing, because if the teacher refuses, there is something really going on and you may need someone to step in again.
This is so hard and I am so sorry for you and your son. Some teachers are just hard asses for no reason.
Usually once a stuident is in High School, it is encouraged for the student to handle these situations on their own with the teacher.. This will prepare them for when they are in college..
BUT in this situation, I can tell this is not going to work this time.
The proper channel would now be the lead teacher to this Teacher. If this is the Science dept, speak with the lead teacher.. then the Principal if you are not happy with the lead person.
Obviously, this teacher is not used to American classrooms, where if you raise your hand.. the teacher either calls on you, OR asks you to save your questions for the end of the class.
If it comes down to your son needing to wait until the end of the class, your son needs to write down his question, so he can remember.
I will guarantee you, your son is not the only student that is confused and cannot understand this instructor,. It happens.. especially in college.
Be sure to address with the lead teacher the lack of communication from this teacher to you about what the teacher perceives as a problem with your son..
I will be surprised if they do not admit there have been other instances.
Maybe see if any other students are also struggling. They will know the answers by the test results in this teachers classes. .
Any chance he can switch teachers?
I think that your son is at the age where he thinks that his judgment supercedes the rules. This is not knocking your son; that's what 17yos do. The rule of not talking includes asking another student what was said. The teacher definitely mishandled it by not including you in the communication, but so did your son.
Is your son the only one having a problem? In a lecture setting, there is a way to handle not hearing what's being said, and it's time for him to learn that. It's not set up for a lot of "What did you say?" The first time he didn't understand, he should have made the best notes he could and then talked to the instructor afterward. If his tolerance level with your son is maxed out, your son is partially to blame. Now is the time to give your son some life skills for making his way in this world.
At this point, you should help your son to understand that the world will not cater to him and that he will need to figure out other ways to get the job done. Schedule another meeting with the instructor and let him know that your son would like another opportunity to approach this differently. He will pay careful attention and take notes. He will read the accompanying material, and he will use context clues to follow the lecture. If he is unsure about anything, he will approach the instructor afterward for clarification. He will not focus on his "heavy accent" or let that keep him from getting what he needs.
The instructor does sound like he's being a bit stubborn. I'd like to know: Is your son the only one having this issue? Could it be possible that your son IS talking too much?
When I was in high school, I had took three years of Spanish class. My instructor had a terrible speech impediment. Much of the class spent so much time making fun of the fact that we had a Spanish teacher with a lisp who couldn't roll his R's that they missed a lot of good instruction.
Honestly, unless your son can identify several other students in the class who are having the same struggle, the problem is your son and not the instructor. So see if he can gather several other students and go talk to their advisor about the issues they are having collectively. I think it would make a much bigger impact, and make it less likely to appear as if your son is the real problem.
It does sound like the teacher hasn't been appropriately sensitive or patient given your son's age. And I understand and respect your frustration.
BUT, if there is anything you can do to help your son understand people with foreign accents, you will be doing him a world of good.
Our economy is becoming more and more international, and the better equipped your son is to navigate in that world, the better he'll do. If he goes on to college and studies science and technology, he may never hear a lecture in an American accent again. So as rude and inappropriate as this one instructor may have been, long-term, your son is going to need a workable solution for this problem.
One of the recent interns in my office was (still is) a neuroscience major, and she and her classmates struggled with the fact that they were getting these incredibly complex lectures, full of information that needed to be memorized, from people with no teaching ability whatsoever. What they did, collectively, was find a website called Freelance Professor (I think that's what it's called) where they were able to find videos by gifted instructors on the same topics. I never would have been able to handle this when I was in college, but for these kids in this high-pressure, very international academic program, it's not in the culture to complain. And they're making it work.
I'm not saying never be a squeaky wheel, but I am saying, help your son adapt to a changing world. Don't give him expectations that real life will never meet.
Contact the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) if they decide that this is a case where a government entity (the school) is preventing your son from getting his education, they can step in to help you find an attorney and resolve this issue.
It's totally ridiculous that your son can not understand this teacher. He may be disrupting class but he also should be able to understand the teacher's instructions. This teacher is being arrogant and uncaring it is his job to teach his students and if the student is having a difficult time understanding the teacher, the teacher needs to grow up and help his student. To teach is a verb or action word.
ADDED:
I studied Tae Kwon Do with a Grand Master from Korea, heavy accent. He understood that sometimes we had difficulty understanding him and that it was HIS responsibility to be understood by his students. He was extremely patient and caring and an excellent teacher.
I have had my share of terrible teachers (and great ones) and I think it is pretty clear, even admitted by this teacher, that he didn't handle the situation like he should have.
On the other hand your son is at fault as well. If he KNOWS that this teacher wants questions addressed after class and he should take notes and walk up after class to get his questions answered. Not understanding something is NO excuse for chatting up his classmates, keeping them from following the lecture and disturbing the entire class. In that point the instructor is perfectly right.
Talk to your son about strategies to better follow the class without being disruptive. Sitting upfront can help. Recording the classes and listening to them again later on can help. If this is a large class and they have the appropriate technology available it may help if the instructor uses an amplification system - accents are easier to understand if the volume is louder.
Teachers can't and shouldn't cherry-pick their students. He cannot simply be "done" teaching you son - this is his job, he needs to do it.
However, I know from experience that some teachers just lack that professionalism and if he can no longer be objective towards your son, one of the options you need to explore is to move your son out of this particular teachers class.
I hope you can resolve the issue.
Good luck!
I'd say there's fault on both sides; your son's for talking in class and interrupting the teacher and the teachers for letting things get to the point where he's too frustrated to hear your concerns. At this point I think your best bet is to work with the assistant principal to get resolution on this. Your son has to be willing to work whatever solution is put forth. You can't expect the way the class is taught to revolve around what your child needs since there are others in the class.
Just to throw in there that there are a lot of accents in the world. My son is currently in a masters program heavy on math and science. 80% of his instructors at the college are foreign with heavy accents. While he may miss a word or two he can follow along because the class material is there and the teacher is available to answer questions after class or by email.
I don't know what the procedures are, but if there is a problem with the student and the parent is not notified, I would think that it's a violation of something and that this teacher can be proven wrong. Request that he be moved to another teacher. If this teacher thinks his style is more important than actually teaching, I wouldn't want my son back in tere anywhere. The skill center needs to know that this teacher is not following procedure, and the teacher needs to know he's not king of the castle.
I won't bash teachers cause we're only in kindergarten with mine, and my son's teacher is doing very well with him, communicates with me, etc. I wish there were more of a team attitude among everyone - sigh!
I am thinking "how does making a student, of any age, sit there confused for the whole class while more and more is said (quite probably further confusing him or her) teach the student(s) what they need to know?" In my experience, teachers normally tell the class "let me know if you have a question/problem or need clarification because otherwise I have to assume you got it and I can move on".
Do other students have the same problem with understanding the instructor? If so, can you get them to speak up so it becomes the teacher's problem rather than your son being difficult? If they aren't, is there someone that understands him well that takes good notes? If so, you son can prearrange to get with that person after class and get those notes and maybe clarificaiton from the student. Then if questions remain, your son can clarify via email so the accent wouldn't be an issue. Another issue is the teacher could have the material written out and available when someone has questions.
My son's dad had an English teacher his senior year that had a horribly thick accent, they convinced him to let someone else read the vocabulary words because they couldn't understand him. Whoever scored the highest got to read the words the next week. Might not work since this is the actual teaching but there are ways around it.
I am currenlty teaching in the Middle East. In this country, the Emirate people are ALWAYS right in dealing with foreigners. Only in America do we allow foreign-born folk to have inalienable rights over the citizenry...
Move your son from the class and try to find other parents who are experiencing the same thing with the teacher.
Wow. What a jerk! I bet your son is not the only one with complaints. Anyway to meet up with some of the other moms and unite? (This man is no teacher! ) Other kids are probably having the same problem but afraid to say anything or just don't care. Can your son take a poll and find out how many other kids have problems understanding? This is part of what school is about - learning to solve problems proactively. It'll be a good lesson for all involved. More complaints should be made. It's not an issue that can be ignored - for you and for all the future students of this man. He needs to learn, change or find a new career.
Well I certainly understand your situation. I ran into this with a doctor in the ER once.
You are going to have to get the administration involved in this. I'm curious, did you have any difficulty understanding the instructor during your meeting? As for "sensing" whatever. That was silly and I'm sure you had a hard time listening to some of that silliness.
Your son is also at fault. Regardless of the situation, the instructor had told him to stop talking. Why didn't your son come to you and talk to you about the difficulty he was having with this instructor and understadning him?
Miscommunication on all ends but the school definitely needs to get involved. If your son is having issues understanding this instructor, chances are other are as well. I would request/demand a new class.
My son would be out of that class or out of that school. There is no way a teacher would have that much of a negative influence on a kid in high school! So many kids are dropping out and getting behind as it is and to think that this teacher is so full of himself.
I would make sure the principle knew that you were "done" too. This teacher is an A**.
Time to tell the vice-principal that you will hire a lawyer and take this to the school board. This is beyond ridiculous that the instructor won't clarify during his lectures, knowing full well that his accent is hard for your son to understand, AND that he did not communicate with you. He should at least have a power point presentation with written English that the kids can follow along with if he cannot stop his lecture to pronounce his English more clearly, at the very least.
The one who should be done is YOU.
Get moving on involving the administration. It will cost you money, but it will get the teacher in front of his bosses and MAKE him start treating the students better.
Dawn
do other kids have problems understanding the instructor? if not many do have that same problem, you may not have grounds to file a complaint against this teacher.
i am trying so hard not to let my feelings get in a way of my true response, but as a person with an accent, you could easily claim mine is a heavy accent and you have difficulty understanding me, while 99.9 others would have no problems understanding. what i am trying to say is, make sure you find other students experiencing the same issues as your son with this instructor, otherwise you could have no grounds for complaint.
Sorry your son is having this problem. I don't really care for teachers - haven't since my daughter was in elementary school.
The teacher was definitely wrong for not bringing this to your attention earlier. I would get my son out of that class; but that seems moot because the teacher says he's "done" with your son so it sounds like your son will be removed from the class in any case.
If he's not, I would suggest he bring a hand held recorder and try recording the lectures so he can play them back and try to decipher them on his own time.
