I wrote this the week before school let out and never got around to posting it....still makes me shake my head....
As a mother of a behaviorally-challenged student I get that my child can be, well, a challenge. I fully appreciate that our teachers and the support staff around him are GROSSLY underpaid. I get it. It is a thankless profession. It ranks up there with Social Workers (probably why I am not one after spending thousands of dollars on tuition).
What I don't get is why people get into this profession thinking it will be a cake walk. Seriously, folks, this is not for the faint of hearts. You need to be on your "A-Game" when dealing with these kids because it is a rollercoaster. You're clicking along just fine, enjoying the scenery and them BAM! The bottom falls out. It happens. That's why you enjoy the view when things are looking up. You store that for the times you are staring at the ground rushing up to meet you while holding down your lunch.
Here is what you don't do. You don't call the mother of this behaviorally-challenged child expecting said mother to wave her magic wand and perform a miracle while stating that this has been "escalating" all week.
*Stepping off of soapbox*
The teacher/behavioral interventionist said the kid might not go on the field trip tomorrow with his peers. Um, ok.
Me: "Did he do his work?"
BI Teacher: "No."
Me: "Then it is appropriate he misses the trip."
BI Teacher: "Well, I need you to understand I have done everything I could do to avoid this, but he will probably be left behind."
Me: "Will he be supervised?"
BI Teacher: "Yes, an aide will be with him."
Me: "Sounds good. By the way, I am still not seeing any feedback coming from you guys. Have you been sending home his behavior reports and maybe I'm not seeing them?"
BI Teacher: "Um, no, I've been busy and haven't sent them."
Me: "Oh, ok." But you have done everything to avoid this? Right….how about next time, you cooperate with Crazy Mama before she becomes Ninja Mama and jumps over your head to the principal. Shall we?
Crazy Mama feels very strongly that parents deserve to be involved in what happens with their children at school. In fact, it has been said that she is unusual in that she requests meetings and on-going feedback regarding her child. And outrageously enough, she does not like to hear that her child is behind and has had escalating behaviors 3 days too late. Crazy Mama feels it is important to address said behaviors immediately because the child can't comprehend why he is in trouble today for something he did (or didn’t do) 3 days ago!
I'll post more on this in the future, but let's just say this was one LOOOONNNNGGG school year.
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