Another week just flew by. We're already in October...yikes! Where does the time go?
We had a very productive week and I finally got to blogging about it. With Fall in full swing we started our Harvest lessons and activities. The munchkins had a fun time learning how an apple starts as a seed, gets from the orchards, to the store, and into their tummy's. They were able to weigh and measure their apples, as well as, a mini taste test to see which apple was liked the best. It was neck-n-neck between Red Delicious and Granny Smith...in the end, Red Delicious beat out Granny Smith. Personally I like Fuji or Granny...it has to have a yummy crunch to it. Yuck to smooshy apples! heehee
My munchkins are really progressing at a great pace. I do have about 4 that worry me. When I check their homework folders I do see that parents are working with them but some more than others and that's a big indicator for me. One of those 4 munchkins is a precious little girl who I already see making a huge growth of improvement. She is being raised by grandmother and grandma is doing a super job working with her. It was evident this week when she beamed to show me her name, she has a super long name and can finally write it all! Yay for her!! She was so proud of herself ~Look! I can write my name! Yes she did! She was super excited and her eyes lit up. This was another little moment to remind me why I love the little ones. Seeing their gains, which many may think are little accomplishments, but to my munchkins and myself, those little gains are like climbing Mt. Everst. Coming from not being able to hold a crayon or pencil to writing their name, neatly, and using correct letter formation is huge! Those students who already come into Kindergarten with that skill are a step ahead of those that don't. As a teacher, I praise those parents for helping their child!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Who says boys don't cry?? Well...I sure can make them cry!! Little boys that is...adults boys are a completely different blog! heehee Yes this is a "Jimmy" moment. The munchkins know that when they finish their work they can read their book from the library. "Jimmy" finished his work, ~go ahead and take out your book and read "Jimmy." ~normal tone if you were wondering. Some time passed and I noticed he was resting his head on his desk, ~"Jimmy" take out your book and read please. I went back to working with a different little munchkin. When I looked up again "Jimmy" was just sitting there. ~hmm...I know he heard me...is he being defiant...nah...hmmm??? At this moment I realized I need to treat him just like the other munchkins and not give him more opportunities than the others because he actually hasn't been evaluated or coded as anything. Just because I and the munchkins notice little differences I need to treat him the same. ~Ok, here goes...I go to his group..."Jimmy" please take out your book and read. He just sat there and looked at me. ~hmm...why is he just looking at me??...I know he understands me...ok one more time..."Jimmy" I've asked you more than once, please take out your library book or you'll change your card. He's still sitting and looking at me!! No emotion at all. ~Maybe if I walk away he'll do it....yeah that's it, I'll walk away. I started cutting out some apple patterns for an activity we were about to do and then that's when everyone heard...WHAAAH! ~to myself I thought Woah mama...what the fart was that??! (yes I said fart instead of...you know!) I looked and yes it was "Jimmy" bawling! I thought someone pinched him or something. He screamed bloody murder...yikes! I know he's very sensitive but other times he hides his face and you don't hear him cry. This time it was loud....WHAAAH! ~Holy guacamole...now what did I say?? I asked the little girl next to him what happened and she said ~I don't know, maybe he hit himself. She was as clueless as I was! haha I asked him what happened...~hello dumb teacher, he's not going to answer you!! Haven't you learned that already?!...hmmm...As he cried, I saw that he kept looking in his desk. ~ahhh I got it!! I bet he can't find his library book! Duh, Ms. Buddé!! It was like in the cartoons...my light bulb turned on. ~"Jimmy" where's your book? Did you check in your desk? The bawling eased up a bit as he said ~"Jimmy" can't find it. There's the third person still! ~tell me "I" can't find it. Nope, still answered in the third person. ~Look again in your desk, I'm sure it's there. The way these little ones look is by no means compared to a CSI Unit...~sheesh, move things! Wow, I just sounded like my parents! Eek! Haha! Then I asked the a little girl who sits next to him to help him find it. Wawlah! She found it in two seconds! Instantly he was fine after that. I have to admit that I felt a bit frustrated...do I have to walk on egg shells with everything that pertains to him or what I say to him?? Can I cry now??!
His mood completely changed because he started coming up to me for his hugs every 2 to 3 minutes. At one point we turned it into a game. Yes, "we" which means ME. haha! I was sitting at a table and he stood right next to me but would not say or do anything, just looked at me. I decided to do the same back to him. I'd look at him then turn back to what I was doing. He still stood there. I knew he wanted a hug but I want him to start asking or just come out and actually hug. Then it turned into a game because now when I would turn to look at him he would turn away like he was looking somewhere else. I tried to hold back a grin but couldn't. Again, I'd turn away and could tell he now was looking at me. I turned back to look at him, he turned away. We did this for a bit and without saying a word to each other my other munchkins started to giggle as they watched us. It was like an old silent film! I decided I better say something or we'd keep doing this all day. ~what do you need "Jimmy?", you need to go and sit down like everyone else. Nope, he didn't move...he gave me a little smirk and a little sound and tilted his head close to my shoulder which I knew meant he wanted a hug. ~do you want a hug "Jimmy?" He nodded his head yes. ~then tell me "I" want a hug. He smiled and said ~hug! and this time put his arms out. I hugged him but his little hugs are so stiff and robotic in a sense. As it was time to leave for lunch I asked him if he liked hugs and he nodded yes. Then I asked if mom gives him lots of hugs ~No ...wow I wondered if that could that be true...possibly. Then I asked if grandma gave him hugs and he answered ~bear ones. Well at least grandma gives him bear hugs!!
I wonder sometimes if I'm doing any good for him. I do see an improvement in a lot of areas. Better than some of the others. Could his "differences" just be learned behaviors or a lack of nurturing or is there really something more that makes him one of God's special angels? All I can do for now is continue to give him the tools he needs to make it through, if that means all the hugs he wants then that's the easiest task I've ever been given.
If you haven't hugged someone recently...do it!! Hugs can mean the world to someone and you may not even know it! Hugs to everyone!!! Stay tuned for more hugs....
XOXO's
No comments:
Post a Comment