Comments on: More on Adopted Children and Classroom Projects http://ethiopia.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/more-on-adopted-children-and-classroom-p Ethiopia adoption news, information and firsthand accounts by those who have been there. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:53:02 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John http://ethiopia.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/more-on-adopted-children-and-classroom-p/comment-page-1#comment-2061 John Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:53:51 +0000 http://ethiopia-ado.www.adoptionblogs.com/2007/10/24/more-on-adopted-children-and-classroom-p#comment-2061 I am a substitute teacher, so I have a real appreciation of all the different factions that feel the teacher ought to adjust their assignments just for their area of intrest. Each group has a strong case taken individually, together, it is frustrating for the teacher, kind of wrong no matter what you do. Circle of intrest is not going to offend adoptive families, but some traditional families may be put off by the failure to recognize the organization of a more standard family. I think this is an area where the adoptive parents need to do the work with the child. How does he want to do the assignment? Why not include his birth family? (What a neat chance to make it OK to talk about his birth family.) Be the facilitator, not the fixer.<br /> <br /> My youngest, a senior in HS, just did an assignment involving the education background of every adult in his family. He was stumped about his mom's HS graduation and going to leave her out of his project. I pointed out that his last foster family's daughter went to school with his mom, call her and he would know. A great big no. He did call her the next day, and did not ask. I don't think the mental termoil these kids go through is going to be avoided by some cleverly designed project. Either they are going to be comfortable dealing with their birthfamily's info, or they aren't. John I am a substitute teacher, so I have a real appreciation of all the different factions that feel the teacher ought to adjust their assignments just for their area of intrest. Each group has a strong case taken individually, together, it is frustrating for the teacher, kind of wrong no matter what you do. Circle of intrest is not going to offend adoptive families, but some traditional families may be put off by the failure to recognize the organization of a more standard family. I think this is an area where the adoptive parents need to do the work with the child. How does he want to do the assignment? Why not include his birth family? (What a neat chance to make it OK to talk about his birth family.) Be the facilitator, not the fixer.

My youngest, a senior in HS, just did an assignment involving the education background of every adult in his family. He was stumped about his mom’s HS graduation and going to leave her out of his project. I pointed out that his last foster family’s daughter went to school with his mom, call her and he would know. A great big no. He did call her the next day, and did not ask. I don’t think the mental termoil these kids go through is going to be avoided by some cleverly designed project. Either they are going to be comfortable dealing with their birthfamily’s info, or they aren’t. John

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