...for those that have followed our saga over the past weeks...DS6 was homeschooled last year and we are attempting first grade public school for the past 2 weeks. We had a huge meeting to discuss that he was HG and needed to be accelerated as stated on all the assessments we had done in May but the school has been NO help at all...and instead of focusing on getting his intellectual needs met by allowing him to work at his accelerated level, they instead have focused on how to improve his behavior....with the school psych actually asking if we had considered medication for his issues with being able to sit still and not bother others! He has been bored out of his mind and has turned into a massive behavior problem.
Well today, his teacher was out and a substitute was in...she informed me that he was an amazing student and extremely bright. She said she had ZERO problems with him all day and that she really enjoyed working with him and she said the trick was to keep him busy all morning long - DUH!!!!! When he finished his work he was allowed to pull out his Sudoko book or could work in the workbooks I sent him for him (that his teacher did NOT allow him to do). So for 2 weeks this kid has been sent out of the room for misbehaving, has been forced to complete ridiculously easy worksheets and work, has been made to feel like an outcast and bad kid until FINALLY someone said, well...you just have to keep him busy so he doesn't have time to fool around - THANK YOU!!!
I then asked if I could please clone her so she could teach my son and she said she would LOVE to be able to work with him and then shared that she was applying for the open first grade teacher position for the school (the classes are overcrowded so they have been allowed to hire a new first grade teacher and they will take 2-3 kids from each class to form the new class)...she said maybe I could put a good word in for her in the office...which I did immediately. The secretary turned around and said that DS was so successful today because the sub allowed him to do what he wanted to do which is counter productive to what his teacher has been working on...his teacher wants him to do the same work as all the other students and not misbehave and because today he was allowed to supplement with his sudoko and harder materials AFTER he finished his regular work - he was allowed to do "what he wanted to do" and so there were no problems. WELL DUH!!!!!!! What kid wants to be forced to do easy work day in and day out and NOT expect them to rebel?
God, if there was a light to brighten our day it would be that this lady gets hired and I beg that he get moved into her classroom. It was just such a nice breath of fresh air and finally let us see that HE CAN BE successful in the correct environment with the correct teacher who does not rule with an iron fist or making all student conform to her box. I was almost giddy today from being so happy that he was successful today!!!!! Medicine my foot!
