The other night I had a school anxiety dream--about Scooter's school. It was right before the class lists were going to go up and I was inside the school and knew I shouldn't be there and needed to get outside. See, the tradition seems to be that the class lists go up just as the secretaries are leaving for the day, meaning the building is locked up and empty just as people start to get their information.
I've spent the summer wondering which class Scooter will end up in and if it will be a good fit. I found out at the end of the school year who the two 1st grade teachers would be; Mr. Teacher and the classroom assistant gave me a brief rundown. Although both teachers are solid in academics, the teacher who is more academically oriented is also stricter and without much humor. The other teacher is more fun, but a bit flaky. The first teacher would probably provide more structure, the second more flexibility. I could see how he would have trouble with either one, but was hoping a bit more for Mrs. Fun. I worried that since both Mr. Teacher and his assistant thought Mrs. Strict would be a good match with Scooter academically, he might end up in that class.
My worry was allayed a bit by knowing that Scooter has people on his IEP team who very much want him to succeed. A couple different conversations with his OT included heavy intimation that they would make sure he ended up in the class they thought best for him. So I've tried to remain calm with the knowledge that regardless of which teacher Scooter was assigned to, it would be the best fit available.
As I walked up to the school with Scooter to check the lists, I hit upon a sign I would look for that all had been arranged as planned. Scooter had both OT and speech therapy with a particular classmate, a kid who has some similar issues. It seems likely that this pairing would continue and it would be easiest for the therapists to schedule them together if they're in the same class.
Sure enough, Scooter's name appeared just a few lines below this kid's--under the Mrs. Fun column.
Even better, he has two other friends in his class, including one with whom he's had several playdates this summer. We even like the mother a lot.
Even better than that... the two kids I least wanted him to have in class--both picked on him and one of them is a master manipulator--are with the other teacher.
The teacher's name is only an abstract concept to him right now. I think even the list of kids he knows is mostly abstract. It'll take being in the classroom and starting back into the routine of school to make this real. But at least he's excited to go back and maybe I can stop with the displaced anxiety dreams already.
1 comment:
So Scooter has Mrs. Fun in real life, not just in the dream? Bub found out his teacher's name the last week of class, so we have her picture and Bub has visited her classroom. I don't know anything about the grade one teachers, though, so I've just been looking anxiously at her face and wondering what she's like. The rest of the kids won't find out who's in their class until the first day, but I'm pretty sure that the boy who is also somewhat spectrumy will be with him so they can share the E.A. support. Bub's other best friends from last year will still be in the JK/SK kindergarten class.
Bub had Mrs. Strict last year for kindergarten (we have two Mrs. Funs and one Mrs. Strict for kindie at his school) and it turned out okay. He responds well to strength, and the saving grace was that Mrs. Strict really liked him and I think he realized that and trusted her as a result. I don't really care so much about what personality or teaching style his grade one teacher will have - I just hope that she likes him.
Post a Comment