Shari - How did it go today?

susiestar

Roll With It
Just curious to see how Wee's school day went! The other thread it sounded like today was his first day back. Let us know when you can.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
It went really well.

He bounced out of bed yesterday morning, raring to go. We had not bought a new backpack, so I offered up mine (a camo, single shoulder backpack with a school logo from 200 miles south of here...but I wanted the single shoulder backpack, and it took me months to find one...now I'll be finding a new one...but I digress) He was excited to have "mom's" backpack for school, and loaded his "homework" from the previous days in it.

We got there and I walked him in. He had breakfast, and then we went to the resource room. Reintroduced him to the new SpEd teacher. They brought back last year's warrior mom para as his morning para, so he at least knew someone yesterday, and I think that was important. There were a few tears, he wanted to be a big boy, but wanted me to stay because he was afraid and missed his old SpEd teacher, but he worked through it. He was excited to see who was in his mainstream class, so as I left, they headed to the classroom for introductions there.

They swap paras later in the day, and his "later" para is a young man. I didn't think I knew him, but now that I think about it, I think he was the guy that subbed for Wee's mainstream teacher if she was gone last year. And if that's who it is, Wee really likes him. I will confirm that today.

They did some baseline testing work, and Wee earned "tickets" for working hard.

The building Wee is in has 3rd-5th grades in it. Last year, when Wee was in this building, but in 2nd grade, he had lunch and recess with the 3rd grade instead of going to another building to have lunch and recess with his own grade husband's cousin babysat Wee til he was 5. She kept one other boy, and has two boys of her own, and those 4 remain good friends still. Her youngest son is a year older than Wee and in the 4th grade, and is who Wee gravitated towards last year at lunch and recess. Towards the end of the day yesterday, Wee was upset about not having any kids he knows in his classroom (and not many friends, period), so the SpEd teacher (and I don't want to get too excited, but I think this is good) talked to Wee enough to learn about this friend that is now in 4th grade, and they brainstormed a solution to Wee's problem - if he gets all of his work finished, he can go to recess with the 4th grade right before I pick him up in the afternoon. When I arrived yesterday, they were proposing their idea to the principal, who approved.

So all in all, it was a really good day.

And I'm knocking on wood that this SpEd teacher is going to be good...I'm sure it took some digging to understand Wee's concerns about friends, and in talking to her, its apparent she did it, since she knew nothing of Wee going into this. Now, if it continues...

Thanks for asking!
 
:)

Way To Go!

this might sound sexist, but most our best school experiences involved men....teachers, para's, etc. not all were necessarily *THE best* (whatevers, educators, aides, etc) but for some reason all of them made a huge difference. if it wasnt for one male teacher last year, i doubt my difficult child 2 would have made it through let alone finished where she did in the one subject--considerably advanced than the rest of the grade. (ok, rofl, he pretty much had his own interests in mind when he took her on--he made some serious scratch and earned every penny of it....i just like to think it was totally altruistic...)

i dont know what the magic was in any of them, but most were pretty tough but fair, and they seemed to be more consistent across the board, and every one of them didnt know the word impossible.

i hope wee's new guy is the same.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
I just cant tell you guys how much that stupid little incident with Wee's friend means.

This sped teacher know NOTHING about Wee. And she explained to me that he felt he had very few friends and was isolated from the ones he had, and this one boy, A, was a good friend his whole life, but he's in the 4th grade....I mean, she had to work to know this stuff...she had to ask questions...Wee doesn't just "spill" stuff like that, and then she understood his problem and they solved it.

Its such an insignificant *thing* in the scheme of things, but its *HUGE* in dealing with Wee...If that's truly what she did, and its truly how she works with him going forward, there is a remote possiblity that we will get somewhere.

Trying not to get too hopeful, but that's the first time any of them have stopped to understand the problem from Wee's perspective that I am aware of, so its kinda hard not to hope.
 
M

ML

Guest
Here's hoping with you and adding my yahoos to a great start to a better school year for Wee.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
He came home today articulating sounds and watching his face in the mirror when he made different sounds, which suggests to me that they spent today working on phonics. He's had a diagnosis of severe dyslexia for a year now, and not once has this approach been focused on; they were too busy trying to do their standard list of site words.

So again, another small thing that seems positive.
 
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