Same kid, different circumstances
What a difference a year can make.
This time last year, I witnessed a child who seemed lost and alone in a crowd of his peers. It seems to only take a few adolescents to turn a bright classroom into a mob of exclusive, discriminatory elitists looking to find opportunities to hurt one another. A class of kids, most of whom had been together for 3 years, became a place of anguish for a warm-hearted child as he watched his friends, one by one over the years, leave the program to return to kinder, gentler surroundings. Last year he'd had enough too, and quietly excused himself 4 weeks before the end of the year to become the 'new kid' in a school where he knew no one. Those four weeks relieved the entire previous 3 years of tension and anxiety, even without classroom buddies. It broke my heart.
This year he entered a new program for kids gifted in the sciences. Everyone was new in September, everyone beginning with a blank slate, everyone excited to meet new friends and build community with one another. I watched as my extroverted kid, who had turned inward and unsure over the past 3 years, come out of his shell and into his own as he was really seen for who he is and enjoyed for what he brings. It's been one of the most fulfilling things for his mom to watch. He has gone to parties, joked and laughed, made friends and most importantly, realized the value he brings to a group once again.
It's been a terrific school year. I'm as excited as he is as he looks forward to High School next year. Brand new school, brand new adventure. And lucky boy, he'll know people from four different elementary schools. This experience has taught him a lot. He's learned through some tough times. But he's learned some truths that will take him a long way in life.
This time last year, I witnessed a child who seemed lost and alone in a crowd of his peers. It seems to only take a few adolescents to turn a bright classroom into a mob of exclusive, discriminatory elitists looking to find opportunities to hurt one another. A class of kids, most of whom had been together for 3 years, became a place of anguish for a warm-hearted child as he watched his friends, one by one over the years, leave the program to return to kinder, gentler surroundings. Last year he'd had enough too, and quietly excused himself 4 weeks before the end of the year to become the 'new kid' in a school where he knew no one. Those four weeks relieved the entire previous 3 years of tension and anxiety, even without classroom buddies. It broke my heart.
This year he entered a new program for kids gifted in the sciences. Everyone was new in September, everyone beginning with a blank slate, everyone excited to meet new friends and build community with one another. I watched as my extroverted kid, who had turned inward and unsure over the past 3 years, come out of his shell and into his own as he was really seen for who he is and enjoyed for what he brings. It's been one of the most fulfilling things for his mom to watch. He has gone to parties, joked and laughed, made friends and most importantly, realized the value he brings to a group once again.
It's been a terrific school year. I'm as excited as he is as he looks forward to High School next year. Brand new school, brand new adventure. And lucky boy, he'll know people from four different elementary schools. This experience has taught him a lot. He's learned through some tough times. But he's learned some truths that will take him a long way in life.
posted by Connie Jones at 9:12 AM
1 Comments:
That is good news. We've seen a some changes in boy #2 as we enrolled him in school here. He actually loves school, he's doing well, they are accomodating his limitations and he has thrived. Home is still a little hellish but we're moving forward.
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