I met with Little-A's 5th grade teacher yesterday morning. I wanted to let her know we were going to home learn next year and even though she wouldn't be responsible for him anymore I really wanted her opinion on how to make this transition smoother for him.
I have to say that I was nervous about this meeting. I've read so many bad experiences that parents have had all across America when they remove their children from school. I'd steeled myself for a confrontation (even though his teacher is amazing). It turns out that I was worried needlessly. His teacher was very supportive of our decision and had some great ideas. She expressed some concern about his need for socialization and I acknowledged it. We brainstormed some ideas to make sure he got the high level he needs.
I face a challenge with him and home learning. Everyone worries that home schooled kids aren't socialized....and they just worry about regular socialization. Little-A is an extremely social child. He thrives on person to person contact. In fact, if you'll remember in a previous post, his biggest concern was that he'd never see his friends. This bothered him so much that he was close to tears. If he doesn't get enough socialization, he gets depressed and starts acting out.
I'm a great mom and because I am, I'm well aware of his "special" need of extra socialization. It's going to be a challenge, and more then likely it's going to be exhausting for me (I'm not a social creature - except online - and I'm very introverted. The complete opposite of him) but because I'm an awesome mom, I'm going to continually push myself outside of my comfort zone to make sure his needs get met. I'm also going to have to find extra ways for me to be alone so I can recharge.
His teacher also gave me the website to find the state standards to make sure he stays on track in case I decide to send him back to PS.
As I've said before...he's always had exemplary teachers and I've always been grateful and appreciative of them.
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