Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Getting Sleepy!


It's been a long time. I don't know where to start. We ended school last year with some measure of success. Meaning we were having more good days than bad and "A" was actually learning something. We started Kindergarten the same way, we had weeks of "good" days, "A" is learning, learning, learning, I am not surprised, he is a extremely intelligent child. What bothers me is when the learning stops, when a child who was at one time deemed "to intelligent for a IEP" ( I kid you not, can you believe someone would say that), well when this child starts struggling again, when the worksheets are sent home not completed on a almost daily basis. When he tells me: "I hate school", "I'm tired of doing the same thing every day", "I hate singing songs, I hate worksheets, worksheets, worksheets",  and to top it all.... when my five year old is suspended for behavior that is a direct manifestation of his disability, not new behavior, but behavior that has been going on since Pre-k.  All of those things bother me.

I have been told by at least one professional that the only way my child would reach his full potential is to remove him from public school, I have been told by yet another professional that I would do him a great disservice if I pull him from public school. I just know I am tired.....

I'm tired of having to fight every day for the education my child deserves. I'm tired of notes from teachers saying that "he is acting like a regular Kindergarten child" one week, and then a suspension two weeks later. I am tired of people not doing their jobs, not following his IEP, not trying to make the classroom environment conducive for learning.

You can't put all children into a pot and expect them to learn the same way, you can't expect them to be happy, you can't expect them to conform. I have a education degree, I am not the dumb "crazy" mom they suppose me to be....I studied some Psychology as well. I know all about Gardner's Theory of multiple intelligences.... I know that even "typical" children learn differently, it is not a one size fits all model. So what I really have to wonder is...How do ANY of our children ever learn anything?

Yes I guess I am in a bad mood. So I am going to find something to be thankful for. Sometimes it is hard to be thankful, I mean I ask myself on a daily basis, why me, why my children? I know things could be a lot worse though. So here are a few things I am thankful for:

  • I am thankful for my children, I am thankful their little quirks and how they make life so interesting, I really can't imagine them not being just who they are.

  • I am thankful for the many wonderful people God has put in my life, the people I would have never met had it not been for our situation. People who are a blessing in many ways, some of them don't even know it.

  • I am thankful that things aren't worse, I am thankful to be able to hear my children's sweet voices, I am thankful every time one of them climbs on my lap and says "I love you". 
  •  I am thankful to be able to hold them in my arms, I know all to well what empty arms feel like.

  • I am thankful to God, though I know at times I feel so alone, God is always there, even in the times that it feels he is so far away, there is always that small whisper.

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" Hebrews 13:5.








"A" with his friend!

1 comment:

Mi2Boyz said...

I'm not as familiar with your county, but I know in mine I've personally seen kids with Autism excell. It's all in how much effort the teacher wants to put into it. It sounds like you need to have a meeting with the teacher and principal and ask them about differentiation in lesson plans and what they are doing to reach out to those who learn in different ways. From my experience I can say the "cooperative" tables are just a place for kids to socialize and copy each other's work. Worksheets just don't cut it for most kids. Hang in there and don't stop fighting for your kids. They deserve the opportunity to learn.