Being too accommodating?
I think that it's a bit too easy to overcompensate time on task when working with a student with a disability for fear of not meeting their needs. I think in doing this that we short change our other students and end up letting the students we make accommodations for get away with sub par work and poor attitudes which, in the long run, is not beneficial to that student. While I'm on my soap box I'd like to add that I think it's ridiculous that I have to have documentation if a student needs specific accommodations. I have, in the past, read tests out loud to my whole class and asked them to write their answers down on a piece of paper because I had a student who was to poor to get documentation for her disability.
Nathan,
There is nothing in 504 or the ADA that says you may NOT provide support to a student without documentation -- only that you may not DENY support to students who have it. Rules regarding what documentation is needed are set by your institution, not the Federal government. As to the issue of time, it worries me that you seem to be suggesting that giving additional time as appropriate for students with disabilities means that they are not being asked to do the same work that everyone else does, or that it is inherently unfair to the rest of the class. Neither is true.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I'm not saying giving them extra time to complete a task is a crutch, I'm saying that the time an instructor spends with that student and away from the other students is an issue. If a student needs help from the instructor then it should be offered regardless but, when overcompensating for fear of not meeting ADA accommodations, the other students in the class suffer. The issue that was my concern was the student who abuses the instructor at the cost of the other students. Having a disability doesn't give you the right to be selfish, I have seen this before and it's unfortunate because people who have limited dealings with people with disabilities will be quick to pass judgement and place stereotypes.
Nathan,
Any perceived issues of providing support to students with disabilities at the expense of other students is a problem for the instructor and for the institution, but NOT a function of disability. There will always be students, disabled or not, who are more needy than others. It is the instructor's responsibility to determine how much attention is appropriate, and to be ready to speak up if the situation becomes untenable. I would say it is a problem for the instructor if he/she lets things get out of hand.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
It's true that regardless of a disability a student's instructor needs to know when to ask for help,I'm not arguing that point. My point is that some people abuse their position and instructors don't know what they can say no to so they take the high road and give too much. Giving too much to a student is the problem that I see as it does not help them retain the material, it just helps them pass the class.
Nathan,
Again, I would say that is the instructor's problem (and the institution's lack), not the student's problem and NOT about disability. There will always be people (with and without disability) who push for more than their share. If the instructor is caving in or backing off because he/she isn't sure what is appropriate because of the student's disability, it means that instructor has been given too little support by the college. It is the school's responsibility (NOT the individual instructor) to set the parameters and give faculty adequate support in dealing with such new situations.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree that accommodations may cause instructors to spend too much time with one student, but that is the instructors' choice. As instructors, we must make sure that we are giving all students the appropriate amount of attention to maintain consistency for all students without lowering the "standard" for one. Yes, this can present a challenge for instructors.
I understand how things can get "out of hand" whether for a disabled, or not, student. As an instructor, I try to know my students and understand the needs they have. Some just need someone with which to talk. Others need help understanding the subject that is being taught. We have to differentiate between the two and give help when needed where needed.
I enjoy helping students understand the material being presented and strive to make sure they understand. If a student stands out as needing more help with a subject, I will be there to help regardless of accommodations. It appears to me, that those that need the most help do not want it or request it, continuing to think they have it together.
We also have advisement slips that we can use to reach out to a student that needs help. In these, we state what times we are here to make sure they have access to extra help. Whether they take the help or not, it is up to the individual.
I believe Nancy is correct here. While, it may detract from an instructor's day to accommodate one student; we are obligated to do so. Many times the accommodations presented are reasonable.
WE NEED TO BLEND THE POWER OF EACH OF THE STUDENTS WITH SUCH INDIVIDUAL ISSUES TOGHTHER AS A CLASS. after ALL THEY ALL WANT TO BE A PART OF THE CLASS OF PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE WITH . tHEY COME TO US IN ALL SIZES AGES COLORS AND WITH UNIQUE ISSES BUT HAVE TO TO US TO LEARN AND MOVE ON IN TODAYS WORLD .tHEY COME TO US WITH ISSUES FROM THE MILITARY, SOCIAL ISSUES, INCOME PROBLEMS AND SO ON AND SO ON . OURS IS THE PURPOSE TO TEACH THOSE INDIVIUALS THAT HAVE COME TO US FOR ARE HELP.
Stacey,
it sounds like you are a very insightful and helpful instructor. I'm sure that all of your students enjoy working with you.
Sarah Smoger
I think our schools handles this very well.NO documentation = no accommodation. For instance, students with documented reading issues goes to the resource center to listen to the voice recorded questions at a specific time, and under supervision thereby eliminating compromising the rest of the class. It is very easy to allot too much class time to one individual and neglect the rest of the students. We use after class tutoring sessions to help with any learning issues in a one on one environment.
ADA students are either motivated or not. Just as with non ADA students, the effort the student makes is just as/more important than the instructor makes. Some of my ADA students do what is required of them, and understand that they need to be up front about their accommodations in order to be successful. On the other hand, there have been times when I have had ADA students who were not motivated and when they did poorly, tried to blame it on the disability. This is when it can become frustrating. I had a student who had two intrepreters AND a notetaker, but never attended classes nor did any of the work. He eventually failed out and the school was sued by his parents.
Warren is correct we are very Accommodating , which is good but some students use this as a crutch which will hurt them when they need to do this in real life.
Pamela,
Be careful, remember that you may not have all the information as to what a student's functional limitations are. They may have a significant impact on some of the little things that we take for granted-like writing things down as to not forget. In the case of your hearing-impaired student, we have a policy that states that no attendance=no notes (even if they have the accommodation). The notes are to supplement the information the student is "hearing" in class.
Sarah Smoger
most students that have overcome a disability have less trouble with the challenges of school than most students have.
I feel the same way as Stacey and appreciate her insight into this subject and obvious love of teaching. It can be very trying to one's patience as we work on assisting the students to be successful, whether there are issues of disabilities or not.
Sometimes, I find it easier to work with the student needing the help, where we have made the accommodations required and, who now has a plan in how to achieve their goals in the class. It seems to me that most of these students will work hard and really want to show that they can be just as competitive as students not needing any of accommodations.
