What's Hot

    Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

    June 1, 2023

    Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

    June 1, 2023

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy
    • Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age
    • Summer Learning Loss is Real
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole
    • Summer Activities Guide
    • A Day for Dad
    • Wondrous Waterfalls
    Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS
    Family TimesFamily Times
    • Community Guide
    • Things to Do in CNY
      1. Central New York Events
      2. Activities
      3. Treat Yourself
      Featured

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      By Courtney KlessJune 1, 202311
      Recent

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023

      Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

      June 1, 2023

      Summer Activities Guide

      June 1, 2023
    • Parenting
      1. Pregnancy
      2. Babies
      3. Kids
      4. Preschoolers/Toddlers
      5. Special Needs
      6. Teens
      7. Pets
      8. View All

      The Power to Save a Life: Cord blood is being used to treat more than 80 diseases

      January 30, 2020

      It’s Not What It Looks Like: Reflections on motherhood’s changes, outside and inside

      July 29, 2019

      In Search of Sleep: 8 Strategies for coping with wakeful babies

      July 29, 2019

      A Surgical Birth: Many pregnant women are likely to deliver by cesarean

      July 29, 2019

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Hand to Mouth: How to help babies start to sample solid food

      August 1, 2020

      315 Bulletin

      August 1, 2020

      Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision

      August 1, 2020

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Rainbow Snowflakes: A colorful craft even little ones can make

      November 24, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      Allergy Adjustments: Parents can support their food allergic child

      September 3, 2019

      Calming Commotion: How to deal with car sickness and more

      June 27, 2019

      Introducing Riff Rockit: Kindie artist to play jingles at Leon Fest

      June 1, 2017

      A History of Inclusion: The Jowonio School marked 50 years in 2019

      March 30, 2020

      Reaching a Milestone: Now the largest chapter in the country, Special Olympics New York is celebrating 50 years

      March 30, 2020

      Come Out and Play: Move Along offers adaptive sports for youth, adults

      March 30, 2020

      Let’s Get Together: Remaking classrooms so all students are included

      September 3, 2019

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Environmental Club: Auburn Junior High School

      January 30, 2020

      Furry Friends: What it takes to adopt a pet for the first time

      July 1, 2020

      Tail Wagging Fun: Lights on the Lake Dog Walk 2019

      November 14, 2019

      Uncommon Companions: Local pet store sticks to its niche

      May 30, 2019

      Dog Food for Thought: Trying to keep your pet from your plate

      May 30, 2019

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      June 1, 2023

      A Day for Dad

      June 1, 2023

      Crash Course: Help your child brush up on study skills for final exams

      May 1, 2023

      A Day Just for Mom: Mother’s Day celebrations and gifts she’ll treasure

      May 1, 2023
    • Health
      1. Child Development
      2. Food
      3. Nutrition
      4. The “Recipe Doctor”
      5. View All

      Financial Literacy for Families: How parents can teach children, teens about money management

      April 1, 2022

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Choosing a Daycare: Learn As You Grow’s Joshua LaGrow offers some tips for finding the right fit

      August 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Easy Holiday Recipes: Are you searching for some new dishes this season? These are some of our favorites.

      November 1, 2021

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Liking Lunch: Best bets for serving kids a delicious, nutritious meal

      September 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Better Choices: How about a resolution to eat vegetables and other nutritious foods?

      January 1, 2021

      Best Friend’s Treats: Bake up some special dog biscuits

      June 1, 2018

      Colorful Soup in a Jar: Give the gift of winter comfort

      December 1, 2015

      Berry Good! Use a summer favorite in this ice cream

      July 1, 2015

      Flapjack Fever: Even pancakes can be a healthy breakfast

      June 1, 2015

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Watch a show – or two – at Redhouse Arts Center

      May 1, 2023

      315 Bulletin

      May 1, 2023
    • Travel
    • Education
      1. Educator of the Month
      2. Class of the Month
      3. Education News
      4. Reading
      5. Teaching
      Featured

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      By Kimberly BlakerJune 1, 20236
      Recent

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      June 1, 2023

      Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

      June 1, 2023

      Ben Borenstein, Education Coordinator at Redhouse Arts Center

      May 1, 2023
    • Crafts & DIY
      • Create
      • Holiday Crafts
    Family TimesFamily Times
    Home»Health»Child Development»High Hopes: Parents share wish lists for their kids’ teachers
    Child Development

    High Hopes: Parents share wish lists for their kids’ teachers

    Deborah CavanaghBy Deborah CavanaghSeptember 1, 2015Updated:April 24, 2019No Comments0 Views
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    I walked home after waving goodbye to my daughter, Amanda, on her first day of kindergarten. I was thankful for the sunglasses that hid tears in my eyes. She was my first child and for the first time entering a world completely separate from me.

    Kindergarten: where each child is a shiny, clean slate on which teachers can write knowledge and experience.

    The tears in my eyes were partly for the loss of babyhood. For the sweet, cozy world that had been just ours. But the tears were also because I knew my child was not a clean slate. I knew teachers had already determined there were skills they felt she could not master.

    Before Amanda’s first day of school there had been meetings, assessments, evaluations and views shared about her. She has Down syndrome and, at the time she entered kindergarten, also a had tracheostomy tube to assist with breathing.

    It was the double whammy: cognitive challenges and the need for medical support. There was no way we were arriving day one of kindergarten without advance notice, planning and supports in place.

    While I understood the preparation was necessary, it hurt my heart. She was not being given the same opportunity to prove herself that all the other kindergartners had.

    I wanted to sit with the teachers and explain. I wanted them to know I wasn’t expecting a miracle. I understood that no amount of teaching skill could make my child’s special needs evaporate.

    And I wanted them look beyond the delays or perceived shortcomings. I hoped they would understand that Amanda’s presence in the classroom could introduce opportunities for lessons in compassion and empathy on the part of her classmates. That alternative and creative teaching methods employed to help Amanda would also benefit other students.

    I wanted to beg: Please see the possible. Please give her time. Please let her try.

    And please know that what I want most is for Amanda to have a positive school experience. That she feels included. That she contributes. That she feels successful.

    But I was afraid. Afraid the teacher would be thinking, “Yup, here is another parent in denial regarding their child’s disability.” Or worse yet, that she would give me that I-don’t-have-time-for-this face.

    I walked home that morning and prayed for the best.

    I have wondered throughout the years if my saying something would have made a teacher stop for a moment and possibly rethink her or his approach. Might my imagined discussion have affected the year ahead for my daughter? Could my words have prompted a positive classroom experience?

    I wanted to get the views of other parents of children with special needs as the new school year approached, so I interviewed them in a series of email exchanges.

    Corresponding with Ally Donofrio, whose daughter Addison is entering kindergarten this fall, I realized that my hopes so many years ago are still being felt today.

    When asked what she would love to tell Addison’s teachers, Ally wrote, “I want her to be treated as any other student, with respect and with the bar set high from the start. My goal is that she should continue to grow and learn just as she has to this point. She’s a kindergarten student, just like all the other 5- and 6-year-olds with their futures open and ready to be molded.”

    Colleen Brennan Leal wishes teachers would look beyond scores. “Our children are not defined by state tests. My son Paul is more than a 3 or a 4 on a state test. In middle school he had the capacity to carry on conversations with adults and not be awkward. He advocates for himself, is inquisitive, has compassion and loves everyone. He wakes up with a smile on his face every morning and sees what is right with the world. Now that’s a 4 in my book.”

    Lisa Burt’s daughter Michaela, who is heading into seventh grade, was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. What does Lisa think about? “As long as we communicate, we will care for my daughter and the staff will know what to do to prevent a situation from escalating. Just because she looks fine does not mean the situation is not serious. Listening to my daughter and her needs is crucial.”

    George Catalano Sr.’s son George Jr. is going into 11th grade. George Sr. wrote: “I actually just want my son to have an enjoyable school experience. I want him to keep learning, his teachers to continue having him be part of the group, and for him to get recognition for his accomplishments.”

    That’s what these parents are hoping for as they send their kids off to school. They want their children to be challenged, but with appropriate expectations. They do not want their kids to be defined by a score on a test; they wish for open communication with teachers. And these parents long for their children to be included, recognized and happy.

    Not miracles. Not extraordinary feats. Not the impossible.

    These are the things I wish Amanda’s teachers had heard before that first day in kindergarten and every year since. Do all parents feel this way? I am betting so, special needs or not.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
    Deborah Cavanagh

    Related Posts

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023

    A Day for Dad

    June 1, 2023

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 2023
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    Top Posts

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 202330

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202325

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 202318

    Treat Yourself: Watch a show – or two – at Redhouse Arts Center

    May 1, 202315
    Flip Through Our Latest Issue!
    Recent Posts
    • Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy
    • Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age
    • Summer Learning Loss is Real
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

    Family Times Magazine publishes a digital magazine highlighting events, businesses, and content to inform and entertain families here in Central New York. Sign up for our twice monthly newsletter to have the magazine and other featured content.
    ____

    Email Us: [email protected]
    Contact: 1.315.422.7011

    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    Our Picks

    Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

    June 1, 2023

    Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

    June 1, 2023

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023
    Most Popular

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 202330

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202325

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 202318
    © 2023 All Times Publishing. Designed by Crossroads Media Productions.
    • Our Authors
    • Archives
    • Community Events Calendar
    • Advertising

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Go to mobile version