words of wisdom from the Prince November 24, 2008

Today Amelia Bedelia was gone again (she had planned a trip before she got this job), so we had last Friday and today without her.  And…Leo was once again just fine.  So was Edward, for that matter.

I treated Leo like I would any other child, so when he refused to clean up I took him over to the timeout chair for a brief timeout.  He took it, and then he joined us for morning meeting. 

When we got to recess I saw the Prince, so I asked him what I should do.  I told him that Leo does fine without Miss Nelson, but on days when she’s in our class, he falls apart, runs away, and refuses to participate.  And then she says to me about our class and the work we’re doing, “he can’t do this.  It’s too much for him.”

The Prince said, “tell her that you’d like him to start being more independent.  Tell her that since he won’t have a one-on-one next year in kindergarten, you’d like to try having him be more independent and treated more like the other kids in the class.”

I thought that was very good advice, so that Miss Nelson doesn’t go over to him and hover and help him with everything….and then he plays her like a violin and freaks out and acts all silly or floppy and refuses to do any work.  Also, fairly diplomatic. 

The Prince is really getting back on track.  What a wonderful relief.

conundrum November 22, 2008

Last Monday when Amelia Bedelia (our new special ed assistant) was in the room, Leo was fine.  He didn’t want to do his work, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer — in the nicest way possible — so he sat down, and with her help, he did some of the work. 

On Tuesday when Miss Nelson was in the room, Leo ran away from Art (who wouldn’t? — but again, that is a topic for another post) and nearly gave her a heart attack.  Back in the classroom he flopped on the floor and wouldn’t join us at all, let alone do any work.

On Wednesday when Miss Nelson and I took the class to the local library for story time, Leo ran behind a rickety wall into a space where children are definitely not allowed to go.  Twice.  He would have gone a third time but I grabbed him and said, “that is NOT okay.”

On Thursday Miss Nelson and I had a few minutes to talk without kids around, and she said, “Leo is totally falling apart.”

On Friday, Amelia Bedelia couldn’t be there, so it was just me and my assistant teacher…..and Leo was fine.  He participated, he did his work, he was fine.  Of course, she had to read him some pirate stories one-on-one, and I had to sit with him to help him do his work, but basically he was fine.  Was it because I was so busy and I just treated him more or less like everyone else?  And I’m relatively strict and wasn’t going to take no for an answer?  Was it luck?

So.  What do I tell Miss Nelson?  You’re the expert on special education but when you’re here he’s a mess and when you’re not, he acts like a different child?