Nag, nag, and nag. "When are you going to start writing again. I told you if you kept finding excuses you'll never get started. You just can't stop. People have been reading what you write for over three years. If you are done writing, you own them one last writing to let them know what you are doing." She's right. As she has for almost forty years now, my part time editor, part time consultant, and full time spouse has pointed me in the right direction.
So, where have I been? First Sunday, road trip to Michigan to visit my hospitalized brother who had triple bypass surgery and a couple heart valves replaced. Second and third Sunday, road trip back to Michigan as my brother passed away at the early age of sixty-five. A tough loss that saddens me greatly. Why is it that a man who would do anything to help anybody can leave us so early in life? Fourth Sunday, granddaughter in the house for the day. I could chose either to write or to watch the movie Moana with my granddaughter for the third or fourth time. I chose Moana.
Fifth Sunday and it's cold, cloudy, and I can't write from my favorite blogging place on the screened in porch on the back of the house but here I am. I believe I'll start with a review of the scholars. Also, as a reminder, I left the supposedly much better school in the surrounding area and returned to the school that I love so much, that is not in a downward spiral, as a volunteer.
The scholars you are familiar with, Grr!, Huey, Whale, S&T and Tourette. The new scholars, Hiss, ShortTime, and Cue. Table positions in the classroom have changed for the teacher and instruction assistant. I have maintained my normal position where I have a really swell view from the back of the room. The teacher, I'll call her Newest, as I'm on my fourth teacher, sits on the south side of the classroom. The instructional assistant, I'll call her Low, sits in the northeast corner of the classroom. In case your are wondering, I'm seated on the west side of the classroom.
One final update and I can begin. I've stayed in contact with Gnu even though I left the supposedly much better school. During our last texting exchange she informed my that things are settling down in her classroom. Apparently the scholars have finally figured out that they are no longer in a play room where they pretty much do what they want to do. Instead of a play room, they are in a academic setting, they will do academics, and at no point do they make the decisions on what they will or will not do. They are not in charge, Gnu is. Is Gnu being successful? I'll let you decide as Gnu's instructional assistant told her this one day. The instructional assistant is speaking (paraphrasing), "I've worked with Grab, a third grade scholar, since he was in the first grade. You, (Gnu) are the only teacher that has been successful in getting him to do academics. All his previous teachers would just give up and let him do what he wants to do when he got angry and defiant."
During one of our recent texting exchanges, Gnu sent me a picture. It was her son, who will be six months old in December, and he was seated in her lap holding up a sign. The sign read, "Big Brother." I'm pretty sure you can figure that out. If you can't, text me and I'll explain it.
Ok, here we go. It's the first Monday after fall break and two scholars did not return to our school. ShortTime, hence the name, moved out of the school district. S&T's original parental unit has gained back custody of this young scholar and he has moved out of state to be with her. The feelings of all the adults that worked with, or supported S&T, while in our school can be rolled up into one word, nervous. Why? MJ, a behavior therapist, during her last conversation with S&T, told him this. "Remember all of the safety things we talked about when you move to your new location." Please keep S&T in your prayers so that he can have a successful reunion with his parental unit.
Also, on the first Monday after fall break, I took some time to see how some of Gnu's former scholars were doing. Here are the names in case your forgot, EM, Uh-Uh-Uh, MiniJ, and Knapper. EM is now in a sixth grade general education classroom and he is doing well behaviorally but not academically. The other three scholars are struggling and, although I'm not certain, they are all back in a self contained classroom for scholars with emotional handicaps. Knapper, in particular, is regressing to behaviors not seen in a couple years. This was confirmed by FBG, a behavior specialist, and to hear this news is very disappointing. MiniJ's regression is also very disappointing and very troubling. I was informed that there is a safety plan for MiniJ that states that he can't go outside for recess and he can't go anywhere in the school without an adult escort. Why is there a safety plan for MiniJ? Inappropriate contact with scholars of the opposite sex.
So what is the new teacher, Newest, like? She runs a very nice, structured academic day very similar to Gnu's. There are three academic work stations just like Gnu had and the scholars are paired based on their academic abilities. The big upside for Newest, one that Gnu didn't have, is that there is a third adult (me) in the room so there is no independent academic work station where the scholars could do little if any academic work. The instructional assistant, Low, is also very capable which puts me at ease because I've seen instructional assistants in classrooms that are boarder line useless. So, the bottom line on Newest and Low is this, they are very capable academically and that is exactly as it should be. On the down side, neither of them have any previous experience in an emotional handicapped classroom and that raises some caution flags for me for two reasons. First, they are not very good yet at recognizing when a scholar is escalating toward an anger eruption but I figure that will come with time. Second, they are both very soft spoken and there have been instances when they recognized the anger escalation but don't speak loud enough to be heard. Fortunately for both of them the third adult in the classroom is not soft spoken especially when he needs to get a scholars immediate attention.
There have been several instances in the five plus years when I've been asked why I keep doing what I do with scholars who can get so angry. Here are two reasons. The first one is totally stupid and the second one explains it all. First of all, I get to stop at the BP gas station again every morning for a cup of Kona blend coffee. On my first stop at the BP, in almost two months, I ran into one of the locals that just hangs out at the gas station. It's an elderly African American women and when she saw me walk in the door she walked up to me, reeking of tobacco, and gave me a hug saying, "where have you been?" After I poured myself a cup of the Kona blend I was headed to the cashier. When the cashier say me coming he said, "long time no see, free coffee today." Here is the real reason why I do what I do. During the first two days that I was back in my favorite elementary school I was stopped numerous times in the hallway by teachers who said, "welcome back, you were missed." It's the little things, like a smile on the faces of the teachers that welcome me back, that make me realize that what I do with scholars with some serious issues does makes a difference. It's for that reason that I'll do what I do for a little while longer.
See you next week especially if I hear nag, nag, nag followed by you better get started on your blog.
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