Comments:

Molly - 2009-01-22 22:34:56
You know? I'm thinking of quitting my job to do the same (or something) with Ossie. This thing, school, does NOT work for him. I'm shooting for May. I can't believe I'm even thinking about...but here we are.
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Melissa - 2009-01-22 22:55:08
This is exactly our problem! The way school is structured seems to physically (and mentally and etc.) harm Atticus. The being jerked from 'center' to 'center,' the being rushed through the tasks of the (too-short) day. We were just working on writing and letters at home today, however (he has been home sick all week), and he did wonderfully. With lots of extra time. And how can a kid who is so naturally musical turn out 'hating' music class at school? I didnt 'like' my public schools (which were to some degree socially hellish, like a '70s hippie version of the Lord of the Flies), but I did love some parts, some teachers, some subject matter. And since I was the kind of kid who just sat in the back and minded her own business and did the work, I never really suffered. But A. is not like me. I also wonder: Am I able to teach someone who is so unlike me?
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Molly - 2009-01-23 15:31:02
Sounds like Atticus and Ossie are cut from the same cloth. He HATES school (he's in a Spanish Immersion school that, in theory, is great) for all the same reasons that Atticus is having. He's also so emotionally jerked around. He has a hard time negotiating all of the Us vs. Them stuff. Some of the policies the school has in place don't help, either. Jeff used to run away from school when he was in kindergarten and he still talks about how traumatic school was for him. I can see that happening to Ossie and I hate it. Example: at the Christmas party for the kids Ossie was sitting at a table with his friends. He wanted a drink, saw that no one else had a drink at the table, so he went up to the buffet table and got drink boxes for all. I was watching the whole time and totally proud that he was so aware of the situation and tuned in to his friends. His teachers, however, yelled at him for taking too many drink boxes. That sort of thing happens every day it seems like. Ugh. I hate it. I also notice a HUGE difference in his temperment if he's at home with us. Matilda is like me (and you, sounds like). She does fine, has no trouble, teachers love her. She has also never had separation anxiety, which Ossie still has. That said, I remember that I always got great reports from school to home, but the truth was that I hated it. I just internalized my hatred, which Ossie simply can't do (which is good! I don't Matilda to be all internalized! But she is! She is already a perfectionist and gets upset when anyone even looks at her sideways! Kids are hard and they break your heart) Anyway. I think we're going to try to make it work after this semester. Scares the bejeezus out of me since I like to have my exit plan at all times (ridiculous at this point, yes?) and because I can't stand all the women haters who say we should be home with our kids. I'll just have to start writing articles for Bitch magazine from home come May. Why aren't you my neighbor so that we could do this together? And kid swap when it gets too hard?
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Brittania - 2009-01-26 05:58:45
Glad I stumbled here tonight, with the Peak of Kindergarten coming on. Elijah's in VPK and hates it, too. In fact, I think the teachers think he's dumb because he doesn't write and Never Talks. I don't think they believed me about his vocabulary and how chattery he is at home or that they cared that I don't care about his not writing right this second. So much to say. Just, agreed. What to do. I'm afraid I'd have to hire someone to homeschool because I wish I was but am not cut out to be at home.
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Melissa - 2009-01-26 14:52:44
Same here. I am mulling over this now. Can the thing be done? So that I'm not the only one teaching? Or, rather, 'teaching'? Poor Atticus is going back to school today after 10 days of sick and he's not happy about it.
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