Back to School Worries

The beginning of a school year can be tough for any kid. You’ve had all summer to just relax, sleep in, and do whatever during the day. But once school starts, it’s getting up early, resetting the school routine, meeting new classmates and a new teacher, and getting used to how things are different. For a kid like Monkey Man, it’s another experience altogether.

We’d requested a specific teacher for him. She knows him, he knows her, and she has a lot of experience teaching kids with autism. I can’t even count how many times I requested this teacher. The boy has an IEP and has special needs. I thought that’d count for something. So I was surprised and disappointed when I found out he’d have someone different.

I won’t go into how ridiculous it is that we don’t get the teacher assignments until 10 days before school starts. I’m sure I’ve bitched about that before. But that’s what led me to contact the principal last week and ask. I described the situation and she replied within a matter of hours, which I really appreciated. But I definitely had my reservations.

It goes without saying that I requested a meeting with the new teacher for a number of reasons. First of all, we wanted to get a feel for her and if she was familiar with our boy at all. She was a teacher in the Reading Lab last year so we weren’t sure if she’d taught him (and, of course, Monkey wouldn’t tell us). Secondly, I didn’t want her to be blindsided by the situation. I clearly remember the first day of kindergarten for our daughter three years ago. There was a parent who introduced her son to the teacher, then for the next few minutes proceeded to tell her all about his issues – how he’s never been in school of any kind (not that unusual, really), how he’s really only ever socialized with his brother and sister, how he has trouble paying attention and tends to get overly aggressive while playing. And then she followed it up with, “I just thought you should know”. Wow, ya think??? You cannot let a teacher know these things on the first day of school. It’s hectic enough. I’m a firm believer in being prepared and there is no way you can be prepared for something like that. So it was very important to me to talk with the teacher ahead of time.

We got to meet with her this morning and I have to say, I feel much more comfortable now. We told her a few things to expect and she asked questions about what strategies we use at home to address those issues and behaviors. That’s a big plus in my book. This teacher is going into her thirtieth year teaching. Not third, thirtieth. So she has experience. She didn’t know how many students she’d have or if there were any other special needs kids in her class this year. They won’t find out their classroom roster until tomorrow. But she’s definitely willing to give it a try and make sure Monkey has the best year possible. I could tell from speaking with her that she means it.

I’m big on communication. I’m a talker. I think that goes without saying since this post is already just shy of 600 words long. (Yes, I checked.) So I made sure she knew that if she had any concerns, questions, or problems with him, she shouldn’t hesitate to email or call. She felt the same way and said if I need to contact her to please do so. We can set up a parent/teacher conference if needed. Thank You.

Seriously. Isn’t this the sweetest little face ever?

We’re hoping that all this preparation is unnecessary. For all we know he could have zero problems in first grade. But we’re better safe than sorry.

While I’m still a little sad that he won’t have the teacher we were hoping for, I do feel confident that his new teacher is going to do her best to make this a good year for him. For the first time since the end of last year, I’m actually looking forward to the start of school. He is, too. And, really, that’s the most important part.