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Failing precalc
I am 17 and a straight A student. I was born blind but have had surgry and now i can see but only about 8ft in front of me.
I am terrible at math and im just trying to finish my senior year. Im in precalc and i havent been able to see the bored or over head my teacher is aware of my handycap but have yet to accomidate me. My mother and the principal have been notified and im really behind in all my work and i just dont know what else to do. The teacher is very tempermental and has waited to yell at me in front of the class even though when i have asked on my own time for a copy of the notes and when i could come in for tutoring. What more can i do???
Note both the teacher and my self are females.
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You aren't being treated fairly and you need to stand up for yourself.
I suggest having your mother call the principal and the superintendent. She must be firm and even a little angry. You deserve better. Once my father called my school in a situation where my math teacher was being innapropiate to me, it only took a day for action to be taken.
It may be best you get switched into another class with a more accomodating teacher.
Good luck,
-Abby
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Without a doubt, talk to your principal. Have your mother talk to your principal too.
If the teacher KNOWS about your handicap, and you have made it very clear to her that you are having a very difficult time seeing the work on the board or overhead projector, and she still doesn't do something to made the situation a little easier on you then it's time to move to the next level up. This is the principal. The principal needs to know what is going on.
Have your mother come in with you. Be nice about it. Just tell the principal that you're concerned over your own grades. Tell him/her what your teacher's name is and your course. Explain the situation. Just say you are visually handicapped, and you have made it very clear to the teacher, but you are unable to see the written work on the board. You've tried to ask the teacher for some extra assistance but she has been very neglectful and you're afraid of failing because of this situation.
If your principal is worth anything, anything at all, the teacher will be talked to about this. Just be honest, explain the situation, and be POLITE about it. No need to walk in all defensive in a huffy attitude (I've seen people do this) because this isn't the principal's fault. You have to give them a chance to inform the teacher of this situation, and make it clear that changes need to be made.
You said:
"The teacher is very tempermental and has waited to yell at me in front of the class even though when i have asked on my own time for a copy of the notes and when i could come in for tutoring."
If you feel your teacher is belittling you in front of the class, even though you are just asking for some extra help (that she can easily arrange for you) then you absolutely MUST tell your principal about this. Absolutely.
When I was younger I had a teacher who felt she was in a high authority over me. I know teachers are important, and I understand that they must maintain that level of classroom control. But, I was a young kid, and I said something completely innocent--that she took the wrong way for whatever reason. She ended up yelling directly in my face, in front of the entire bus lobby after school, and hit me in the head, telling me that I was stupid. I didn't know what to do because, well, she was a teacher.
I went home and I was pretty upset. I burst into tears in front of my mother because I couldn't figure out what I did wrong and how I could have fixed it. I told my mother what had happened and she called the principal immediately and arranged a meeting with her.
The principal understood the situation. She went to the teacher and talked with her about the inappropriate behavior, and informed her that she needed to make an official apology to me for the belittling. The teacher was scolded for her actions and she never did that to me again.
And that wasn't the only time I had to get the principal's involvement in situations where a teacher couldn't understand. I had some health problems where I needed to leave the classroom occasionally, but many teachers would refuse to allow that. I simply talked to the principal, who informed the teachers that I was absolutely allowed to leave the classroom for a few moments if I needed to because of those medical reasons.
Waiting until your grades have plummeted is your downfall here. Your principal can help the situation, but because you've waited so long it doesn't mean your grades will end up being passing scores. This sort of thing should have been addressed months ago, when you first realized the teacher was refusing to accommodate your special needs. Now that you're more than halfway through the course, you may end up failing anyway. Mathematics tends to build on itself. If you've missed this much class, you might not even be ABLE to play catch up. You certainly SHOULD try though.
So:
Talk to your mother, encourage her to talk to your principal.
Talk to your principal, preferably with your mother.
See what happens. What does your principal suggest. What can he/she do to make it clear to the teacher that there needs to be something altered.
See the principal if things don't improve. Make sure you are clear that your grades are important to you and that you are serious about this. Tell him/her that you have been, and are, trying your best but you need help. Real help.
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