ADD

Recently I have blogged about a student I have been having issues with. It has been a smooth couple of days, until this morning. Homework was not done nor was his homework letter signed. According to the contract I made him sign, I can legally kick him out. I hesitate to do so. I called his probation officer and we have worked out a plan and she is coming over to see if he laughs at her like he did at me this morning when we talked about everything. In my conversation with his probation officer I learned that he is ADD, yet his mom refuses to medicate him.

I get that, as a parent, that is your choice, but don't act all confused when the issue you refuse to acknowledge is the reason he has been having so many problems at school. Change his diet if you don't want to go the pharmaceutical route. Help him learn how to manage and cope with is problem, don't pretend it doesn't exist. We can court order a parent to medicate, but only if it is a life threatening situation, ADD is not, so we are stuck.

It looks like his days here are numbered and as much as I hate to ruin a family's holiday, I can't help this kid if the parents aren't willing to help me help him. Does that make sense? The homework letter says, "Do not sign till you have seen ALL the completed work." It is signed even if the doesn't do one lick of homework.

I know that these types of blogs may not be the most thrilling thing, but it helps me try to think through the situation. Did I miss something? Could we try another route? Etc. I think we have tried every path and every tactic with this student and until he cares, nothing will matter. It's sad, but sometimes true.

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After lunch I decided to talk to the student one last time. I looked at him and said, "I give up." He was confused. I said, "I don't know what I can do to make you want to work and finish 7th grade. Your probation officer doesn't know, the school doesn't know, none of us do. Unless you can come up with a good reason why I should continue to waste my time planning and coping work you won't do, I give up. I hate to say it, but I give up. I don't know what you need or want from me. You have to tell me." His response, "I dunno." I told him that I was giving him till 3 to prove he wanted to be here and not repeat the 7th grade. If he hadn't completed his work or proved to me by then that he wanted to stay, he would be removed from YIP. It is currently break time and he is opting to work through his break. He has been plugging away and seriously making an effort (which makes me wonder...lazy or ADD or a combo?). He is asking questions and doing research and coming to ask me a question now.

15 minutes later...

We just did 35 math problems! He worked them straight through and didn't complain! It's sad, but I think tell him "I give up." helped.