More Praise for my son's school...

I know I've written about my son's school a couple of times. I know I will most likely write more as the years go on. I can't help that they impress me!

My son goes to a charter Waldorf school in my area. As I've said before, I love the Waldorf philosophy, even though I'm not 100% on board. The teachers that are attracted to this environment are amazing, as I wrote about previously. Finding out that they are also non-union only impresses me more.

But this isn't about politics or philosophy. This is about his two special kindergarten teachers.

My son is active. According to his teachers, he has a boundless source of energy! He is smart, social, and bores easily. He is very tiring! It takes a lot of work to keep him occupied and engaged, although he does love to help and will do almost any task, the trick is always finding the right motivation.

Last week my husband and I met with his Student Success Team. His teachers suggested that we have a special meeting in order to discuss his strengths and "strivings" (as they call it). This team is assembled to address how to best meet the needs of individual students in order to make them successful in school. Although the meeting was scheduled for an hour, it actually took two. The team consists of his two teachers and their mentor teacher. The mentor teacher brought years of experience and an unbiased third party to the table. It was a very productive meeting.

The focus seemed to be on finding the right mix of participation and activity to keep him focused and engaged. His trouble seems to be in getting bored with the activity and then becoming restless and disruptive. The teachers talked about the kinds of activities they have been doing with him to keep him engaged, while giving him a physical outlet on which to spend his excess energy. The amount of extra attention and care he has received from his teachers astounds me.

My concern has always been that although he is not a bad kid, his excess energy and his ability to pull other children into his disruptiveness would give him the reputation of being the "problem student" and that would follow him throughout his school years. One thing I appreciate about this school is that his 1st grade teacher would be his 2nd-8th grade teacher as well, and that would give his next teacher plenty of time to get to know him, know his strengths and weaknesses, and find the right mix to work with what he needs. However, a bad impression at the beginning could sour his whole experience.

During the course of our meeting the teachers brought up some issues they've noticed that I hadn't even recognized. What I considered to be an anger management issue, the teachers actually thought was a sensitivity to sensory input. At first I objected to this idea, but my husband (who does have sensory sensitivities) was quick to agree. I argued that how could a kid who loved to be hugged and cuddled be sensitive to touch. But my husband and the teachers brought it to my attention that it was actually unexpected touch that sets him off, and his response to unwanted touch is the same as children with more severe sensory issues.

They also thought he had an especially low pain tolerance, which again I objected to. However, my husband again overruled me and agreed with the teachers. What I had considered to be an amazing dramatic act at every scrape or fall might actually be a real display of pain. Huh.

Then, to my surprise, one of his teachers pulled out a book that she had been reading for children with sensory challenges! She also gave me a copy of some nutritional baths she had researched for children with sensory sensitivity, and mentioned another book that would also be a good read and apply to my son. As she was writing down the title, his other teacher pulls the book she was suggesting out of her bag!

I was shocked and amazed. How often do your child's teachers independently research an issue, and read a rather large text, in the interest of helping a single child in a classroom? I know he did not receive this kind of care from his public school teacher last year!

Every encounter with his teachers impresses me. I just can't thank them enough.