Unit 3: How Far Should We Go
Ann and Karen worked to solve Brian’s homework problem. They arranged
to have a school volunteer come in the class each afternoon and work
with him on his homework.
The teachers were also able to arrange for Brian to take advantage of a
local Big Brother program because there were no adult male figures in
his life. Brian’s volunteer Big Brother came to his house every
Saturday. “Do you think Brian’s Big Brother could just read to him?”
LuAnn suggested to Mrs. Adams over the phone.
“Well, when he is here, he usually does odd jobs that I am not able to
do and watches Brian while I get out of the house for a few hours,” Mrs.
Adams said in a tired, discouraged tone. Mrs. Adams seemed genuinely
concerned with Brian, his welfare, and what the school was trying to do.
In thinking about the situation, LuAnn felt sorry that Mr. Adams had
died and that Mrs. Adams was so overwhelmed. However, she felt that
Brian’s needs were not being met and that the family needed to move on.
In an additional effort to help Brian, Karen and LuAnn were able to find
a university student who volunteered to work with Brian at his home
intensively over the summer. They gave Mrs. Adams the student’s phone
number so she could make the final arrangements but she never called.
LuAnn and Karen had had tough cases in the past but managed, through
tremendous team effort, to get the child close to grade level. It simply
was not happening for Brian, no matter how hard they tried. “Just how
far should we go?” they wondered, “and where do we go from here?”
Discussion/Study Questions
1. List what you learned/know about each of the characters in the case.
2. What do you think is motivating the thoughts/actions of each of
the characters?
3. What are the issues/problems in the case?
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Additional Questions
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1. In light of Brian’s family situation, what other avenues could the
teachers take to get help for Brian?
2. Given the severity of Brian’s learning disability, is it realistic
for the teachers to expect to bring his reading skills up to grade
level?
3. What role should teachers take when dealing with children and
families who have experienced a death and who are in the
process of grieving?
4. Do you feel that Brian’s mother’s continued depression and despair
five years after the death of her husband is a typical or
predictable component of the grief process?
5. Do you believe that this classroom is the “best” placement for
Brian? Are the teachers able to meet his needs?
6. What instructional modifications were tried with Brian? Were they
effective? Why or why not?
7. Considering the added pressures and responsibilities that Brian’s
mom has faced since the death of her husband, what additional
family supports might help alleviate her situation?
