education

Year 1 so far

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We are 3 weeks into year 1, I’m still not sure how that’s even possible, feels like only yesterday Teddie was starting reception.

I had my doubts about year one, my gut told me we may possibly see some struggles but so far Teddie has yet again proven me wrong.

Teddie has settled in the class better then any of us could have expected, he now has his own desk and work area. This has made such a difference, Teddie needed that place within the classroom, somewhere he can call his own. Teddie is spending more and more time within the class something he didn’t do a lot of in reception. 

Teddie loves to dip in and out of things, if the other children are doing an activity on the carpet Teddie will join in but if it all gets too much for him he will take himself to his table to do independent work with is 1:1.

One of Teddie’s many talents is he has an amazing ability to listen to what’s going on elsewhere in the classroom, even when he’s not be participating in it. To others, it may not look like he’s even listening but he would be able to repeat everything that has been said even though he’s not fully engaged and working on his own activity- this boy amazes me.

Last year Teddie found the beginning part of the day difficult so he always entered the school through the office and went straight into the sensory room completely avoiding the classroom, this was something I wanted to change this year. I hoped Teddie could go straight into his new classroom but still have access to the sensory room later on in the morning. So far Teddies has been able to avoid entering the school via the office & sensory room and has been eager to go straight into his classroom like all the other children do.

It took a good 2 weeks for Teddie to stop asking to go back into the reception classroom, he always said:

“this classroom finished (pointing with his middle finger) go back to Teddie’s class in reception”

At first, he didn’t fully understand why he couldn’t go back but after we told him he’s a big boy now and the smaller children needed the reception class Teddie completely understood and liked the idea that he’s a bigger boy now.

There’s still one major concern we just cannot overcome- the toilets!

Towards the end of the 2nd week, I spoke with Teddies 1:1 and assumed Teddie was using the toilets in his classroom only to find out he wasn’t. Teddie would go to the toilet in the morning once he woke up 6.30, 6.45am then again once he came home at 3.15pm, this is an incredibly long time not to go to the toilet! We decided the only option was for him to use the only toilet we know he’ll use and that’s in reception.  There are 5 toilets to choose from in reception, Teddie will only use the 2nd toilet on the left.

Once we told Teddie he could use the reception toilets the following day he went twice!! Teddie was made clear that he is welcome to use this toilet but we go to the toilet say “hello” then go back to year 1, he was absolutely fine with this.

We are having a few teething issues with pick up, half the class go to the afterschool club Teddie is becoming very upset as his name isn’t being called out for it. He has no idea what afterschool club is, he’s just sad he isn’t being picked for it.

Everyday Teddie overcomes an obstacle without any issues or fuss at all, we are so proud of him we could burst! 

We love our Bear and wouldn’t have him any other way.

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School holidays, the end is near!

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I’ve been counting down the day till I can tell Teddie he has school tomorrow, he’s asked nearly every day if it’s a school day. 
6 weeks off school is a looooonnnnnggggg time to be off when you have no real concept of why you aren’t at school.

There are a few things I’m really not going to miss when the boys (Teddie) are back at school. Like when you’re taking 5 minutes to yourself in the garden and u hear what every parent dreads……….the sound of the lego box being tipped over!!

Picking lego up should be used as state punishment or classed as a job as its a bloody pain in the arse & takes forever to pick up. There’s always one piece you’ll miss but you need not worry as you’ll find it when u stand on the bastard thing when u sneak into the bedroom check on the child!

Out of the 3 boys, Teddie is actually the only one we didn’t have to keep amused throughout the holiday. He makes his own games up, normally coping whatever he’s watching on YouTube.
He loves nothing more than flitting between rooms like a Tasmania devil leaving wreckage as he goes. I often just sit and watch wondering what is going through his amazing little brain, he’s always so happy in whatever he’s doing.

Every day Teddie has turned the lounge into a soft play area with the cushions off the sofa. All 3 boys think they’re on an all-inclusive holiday & Harvey’s using the house like a hotel, the end is near!

Teddie is super excited about returning back to school. I think he will go straight in without any issues but think the 2nd week in we will see a slight change in him. The realization of school and the routines he has no control over.

Teddie has the same amazing 1:1’s, without them again this year I would be a nervous wreck, I think Teddie would be as well.

This time last year Teddie was about to start school, he could hardly say more than a handful of words fast forward a year & we cannot keep him quiet. He’s made so much progress it’s unreal but I still have the same worries and fears.

The children in his class & school are all so lovely but there is always the worry as the other children get older their understanding of being “different” grows. Teddie has never seen himself as any different from the other kids his age, I’d hate another child to change that.

Alfie said a while ago a new (year3) boy came through to the dining hall with his trousers round his ankles after finishing the toilet. Alfie said Everyone was laughing at him. I really hoped Alfie didn’t laugh as well, he said he didn’t but in the heat of the moment he probably copied everyone else and laughed.
The first thing that crossed my mind when Alfie told me this was this will more than likely be Teddie in a few years.

This boy did what came naturally to him, he sought out help when he needed it,  I’m sure it was more the situation and the surroundings that made the children laugh over his inabilities to pull his trousers up but it still must have been upsetting.
If this was Teddie we would probably laugh with everyone else not fully understanding what they were laughing at.

Laughing and teasing is uncalled for, it can have a real effect on all involved but especially the ones being laughed at.

We all go through things as a child we’d like to forget. I remember one girl always reminding me I had bumps in my hair when it was up in a ponytail. She always had this perfect ponytail, something that I hadn’t ever noticed till she sought out to remind me how imperfect my hair was. It became a constant daily reminder of how awful my hair looked, after a while, I stopped wearing my hair in a ponytail as I began getting really annoyed with my mum for leaving bumps in my hair.

Although this never really had an adverse effect on my life, at the time it made me change how I thought others saw me and how I saw myself, I can only imagine how awful the poor boy felt when most of the dinner hall laughed at him.

If there’s one thing you can teach your children please encourage them to just be kind, let them know that the things they say and do can really hurt others even if they think they are only playing. Explain that all children come in all shapes and sizes & we are all different in our own way.

How much better would the world be if everyone was just that bit kinder to each other?”

– Holly Willoughby

As Teddie starts yet another chapter in his life, we continue to support him as he finds his way through this world.

We love our Bear and wouldn’t have him any other way.

 

 

 

Our funny Bear

/ lifewithabear / Leave a comment

 

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As I put Teddie to bed he made that pretend to cry noise as he wanted me to lay with him, something daddy does every other night but mummy doesn’t fall for the same tricks.
I close the bedroom door and return to the garden where my parent’s, Gareth & Alfie is still sitting, we could all hear Teddie calling out for me still pretending to cry so we ignore him.

Out the corner of our eye, we see a big brown bear appear at the upstairs window, Teddie.

“Mommy (he’s American lately) It’s Teddie, I’m crying”

We all look at each other and bust out laughing, to which Teddie thought was highly amusing so then started to sing Tommy Thumb.

 “Mommy finger, Daddy finger, brother finger from his window”.

He was about to go onto grandad finger but as I got up Teddie legged it back into bed like we hadn’t just seen him, the little shitbag

What made this situation so funny was this time last year Teddie could barely speak 2 words.  I generally had worry and fear behind my eyes not knowing how he’d cope with what the world had to offer.

Fast forward a year we can now have a conversation with Teddie, although at times it’s limited its still a conversation he’s engaging in.

It’s the littlest comments that make us laugh out loud like;

“Cheers” whenever he has a drink with someone.

“That’s not right”  when he sees something out of place.

“Fingers crossed mommy” when we are playing Mario on Ds

“Yes, I can” when we say no thank you.

“10 more minutes” for everything we tell him to stop doing.

“Good job” to almost everything you do.

This past year has taught me that even if you have an inability to do something it doesn’t have to change who you are. Teddie has always been confident, funny, loud & proud even when he didn’t say a word now put words into the mix he’s polite, kind, caring, loving and all the above.

Teddie receives limited speech therapy, once every few months at school his successes have come from a mixture of putting in lots of work at home & at school but it’s mainly come from Teddie wanting to learn.

Teddie has a photographic memory so 95% of his learning has to be learnt from visuals. Carpet time & speaking/learning in groups are areas Teddie struggles most with as he cannot process the information like he can if he was learning from visuals

Unfortunately, as Teddie goes through the years at school the learning is taught with a teacher at the front of the class and the children listening and taking notes, something Teddie may not be able to do.

Teddie has a revised curriculum ready for September, we are hoping he can spend more time in the classroom learning his way but also seeing how the other children learn. Teddie often likes to dip in & out of class learning if something takes his eye or if he knows whats being taught.

                                  

 

Teddie’s EHCP is now finalized ready for when he starts year one, although not much will change now the school will now receive a lot more money to help cover Teddie’s revised learning.

I read recently that schools are having their budgets cuts, a decision the government feel is a good move. The Guardian reported that 80% of schools are having to cut numbers of teaching assistants and support staff due to the new national funding formula for schools in England.

This is something that has affected our school resulting in only 1 teaching assistant per year rather than 1 per class. These changes open us up to comments such as;

“A teacher has 30 children to look after but special needs child has their own 1:1, how is that fair”

“My child needs help but he/she isn’t getting it but others are”

I completely agree there is not enough funding going into education, schools, especially our’s go above and beyond to make sure the children are not affected by these changes but the parents do not always see the bigger picture or help the situation by making comments although not always directed to us (Teddie)

What many parents do not always understand is for a child to receive a 1:1 procedures need to be met & put into place. Yes, Teddie has his own 1:1 that’s because I have fought tooth and nail for him to receive the funding he needs for him to attend school.

What many parents also do not understand is Teddie’s 1:1 will only be present in the classroom while Teddie is at the school, if Teddie leaves the school the funding leaves as well.

A special needs child does not start school and automatically have own LSA the parents needs to start the procedures months, years in advance, even then it’s down to the local authority to decide if a child warrants a 1:1. 

Our school has bent over backwards for us, for that, I cannot thank them enough but I think that due to us having the respect for each other. We could have sent Teddie into school and moaned about what should & shouldn’t be in place for him instead, we

worked together a year before Teddie even started school to get him what he has today.

Before you make judgemental comments on what one child has but your child hasn’t stop and think about the lengthy process we have been through just to get our son through the school doors every single morning.