Wow!! I could just cheer spontaneously - but it would scare my kitten & I have no voice so I won't.
My buddy T who lives at Boys Village and has been a huge behavior/academic and social issue since day 1 - you know, the one we are hoping to outplace to a school for boys who throw chairs and scissors? Not only has medication changed his reaction to not wanting to do things, but he hasn't left for behavior issues in 3 weeks. I can't say he is making great academic progress - because he works in about 30 minute intervals for gum or computer time (even those intervals are becoming less frequent). But I can say I am head over heels and will cry when he gets outplaced. This little angry boy with a seriously depressing background (substance and physical abuse - 1 of 6 - awful awful awful) has the hugest most adorable smile and when he says across the room "Mith Toweee I need you" or "Mith Towwe here!" I light up - he comes in and hangs his backpack independently, he can move his name to check in and grab a breakfast and NEWSFLASH - this week he started doing the "do now" activities - tracing letters etc. He sits through Morning Meeting and even allows us to greet him each morning - which is HUGE HUGE HUGE compared to the boy who came in threw his backpack and proceeded to destroy my room. He gets a lot of special treatment - trips to the treasure box, personal play time while friends do work - but he is maintaining appropriate behavior and TODAY - he earned a "Good Job" award at our whole school meeting - and though he said the whole way to the meeting that he didn't want an award - when they called his name he LIT up and ran up there and came back grinning like a Chesire Cat. WHAT a face he has.
I know I'm rambling but if you could see him .... go back and read the posts from the days he flipped chairs and tables - stood on an easel and said "I'm gonna jump" or climbed on counters, refusing to get down - now see the little boy who hugs me on the way out the door and LOVES to be told he had a super day.
Waiting to go to Community Meeting today, I was teaching the kids SkinnaMarinky Dinky Dink SkinnaMarinky Doo - I love you....you know the song I'm sure. Well as I'm doing 1 line - repeat after me - etc - My buddy T jumps in with the whole song - slightly garbled since his language abilities are low, but the WHOLE song and it was an "aawww moment" I just had to watch and smile like an idiot while he behaved like a CHILD who sings and plays and loves to hear his own voice - I couldn't even teach the kids any more of the song, I was all mush inside. : )
Doesn't mean today was perfect - never is. My voice is gone, my head pounding, my body sore - and though it was a half day, it never feels like it. But T is making my day everyday - who woulda thought?!
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