I need Emergency Help!

[Fishbusters]

I have a student in my class that is Phillipino and has recently moved to the USA. This is not usually a problem as most students from there usually learn some English but since my class is Educable Mentally Disabled there is a problem due to the educational practices from there to here. I found out today from my best resource on the matter (a teacher originally from there) that the disabled usually did not attend school but rather were educated at home. This was the case with this student and as such he does not speak or understand all but the basic of english (yes, no and as far as I can tell this is about it). So far we have tried to work out things using pictures and hand gestures but things are not going as well as I hoped. I need a crash course in words and phrases in his native language which is Tagalog. If it was not for the other teacher and I not having the same free periods I would ask her for a crash course but we are both too busy while at work for the extra time needed to accomplish this. If any of you can help out with either a good website, name of a good book or even a phrase like "good morning", "time for lunch" or about anything else I could really use it. Thanks in advance and you can either post it here or e-mail me at kearp@berkeley.k12.sc.us or fishbusters@hotmail.com

 

[Ross J]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Try this sport!<br /> http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Tagalog_mainpage.htm <br />Ross

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

mabuti trabaho<br />(highfive)(good fortune of 1st customer)<br />good job Ross!

<br />hehe- i like that site, learned something already

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Hey Peter<br />I have a good friend who is fillipino and speaks fluent tagalog and i am sure if you gave me a list words or phrases you would like to know i am sure she would translate them for us. jeeez maybe i could even end up learning something. you can either shoot me an email fshkpr@calntisa.com or just post them here whatever is easiest for you.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Thanks Ross that will get me started. There is nothing like talking to someone who just sits there and smiles having no clue what you are saying. I have been able to make some sort of connection/understanding that I am here to help you out with all but this one student. I like to try to let them know that they can ask anything and I will try to answer it on thier level w/o talking over thier heads or getting frustrated but if you don't speak the language you can't even begin to connect. Heck I can't even get across it is time for lunch w/o going through a lot of pantomime. I did think this might just be a way to ignore me but when I reached my limit today and took him to the Phillipino teacher she asked him the questions and he answered them but it was all in Togalog. We did find out he can't read even in Togalog so I still don't know what to do about school work yet but I need some basic comunication till he can pick up some English as he goes.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

FSHKPR If I could get "time to go to lunch" or something close to it that will help. The site above is a good one I am going to put good morning and a few others onto a little tape recorder along with the English phrase (so I know what it means) and learn one a day if I can.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Peter not to offend but I have to laugh when I think about you pantomiming its time to go to lunch. Wish you the best with the new challange you have to deal with.I am sure you will connect with this kid sooner or later. By the way can you post a video of how to go to lunch in pantomime. Just kidding just kidding.

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

hey peter to say lets got to lunch or actually its lets go eat you would say kumain na tayo.<br />wish i could give you punctuation but i am lost. this ladys name is elvie and she told me she would be happy to help you out. i am gonna shoot you her email and she told me any time you got a question feel free to email her.

 

[roscoe]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

I know its basic, but I guess that's where you are starting. You could make a little poster with the basics on it, then point to the picture. <br />Potty time= picture of toilet<br />meal time= plate of food and glass of milk<br />Home time= picture of a house or the bus<br /><br />Any womens magazine should have what you need.<br /><br />How old is this little guy?<br />Any Idea on his intellectual abilities, what do they call them, cognitive skills?<br />Does his family speak any english?<br />If you do a nap or rest time, a picture of a bed.<br /><br />Is it possible you could get a student from the high school, that know's the language, that could help out for a couple hours a week.<br />Don't know if you have much of a Phillipino community in the area, but maybe there would be a social group or church group, that would have someone able to volunteer a couple hours.<br /><br />Good luck, You Can make a difference in this kids life. Hats off to ya.

 

[JGREGORY]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Peter,<br />After reading this post I must say that your are a canidate for Sainthood. I admire you you have more patience then I could ever possess.

 

[aspeck]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Peter, you are obviously a very dedicated teacher. We sure need more like you in the system today! Thanks for doing a great job!

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Great idea, Jgregory.<br />Maybe JB can anoint him .. Saint Shaofin Admiral.

 

[plywoody]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

I am somewhat surprised you don't have a Special Ed department, with an ESL (English as second language specialist) to handle problems such as this. That is what they are trained to do.<br /><br />The district's special ed department ought to be formulating a IEP (Individual educational plan) for this student.<br /><br />My personal experience in being the parent of a special ed kid is that this is vitally important, as any unorganized effort, however well meaning, is rarely effective.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

the language barrier turns learning time into<br />simple babysitting... have u spoken with the parents<br />yet?<br />and ditto on a job well done

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Plywoody we have an IEP in fact the teacher who had him about 15 days wrote it and had a meeting and everything. I would have been there if I had even been invited. This is not the first time I have recieved non-english speaking students but due to the fact the ESL teacher is overwhelmed with students I get no help there. I can handle Spanish I know enough to get by there because of the influx of Spanish speaking students we have in the area but to get a Philipino student that does not speak English is almost unheard of. All I can legally comment on regarding mental ability is my class ranges from low 1st to perhaps low 3rd grade level ability across the board. I appreciate the help and it has worked we have started a connection and I have found him an eager and willing student who once he understands want to do all he can to please. I wish that all my students were the same. <br />BTW Thanks for the words of encouragement after the week I have had it's nice to know someone other than you family and coworkers are behind you.

 

[plywoody]

Re: I need Emergency Help!

Good luck to you.<br />This special ed stuff is kind of a hot button issue for me. My blind daughter lived with me during high school, and it was nothing but trouble to start.<br />The school started out patting me on the back, and saying to trust them--they are the professionals and know what they are doing. and then dedicated teachers would offer help my daughter did not need or want, and less than dedicated teachers would try to wash her out because they did not want to be bothered. And the principal would continue to pat me on the back, and give me all sorts of excuses of why they were not following the plan.<br /><br />Until I got to the head of the district's special ed program, and had a long heart to heart with her, and told her I was no longer interested in the principal's excuses.<br /><br />I became somewhat less than popular with this principal (It was a small town, and he refused to make eye contact with me to this day when we encountered each other on the street)<br /><br />It did pay off, as she currently is a senior at Oregon State University with a 3.9 GPA in computer science, and is working on a grant helping set up an adaptive technology program at the University of Washington.<br /><br />But I shudder to think what would have resulted had I "trusted" them. She'd have been collecting SSDI today, instead of paying into it, I am sure.