If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
For weeks, Tuck has been assigned to a boy to shadow in class. This boy has
never said a single word on school premises. He wouldn't point, he can write, but will not write about anything personal.. not even to convey his needs. He would not even move magnets to convey any sort of communications. So in the mornings when we are assigned to him, we work on hand signals. The fact he would even use hand signals with a dog blew the teachers away. So we knew we were on the right track. But Tuck's presence in the classroom, although not affecting this boy, creating a huge distraction and disturbance that negatively impacted the learning environment for the rest of the students. And the poor teacher. We weren't making enough progress to follow this through. The students were cautioned, that if Tuck's presence continued to distract them, this would be his last day in the classroom. They MUST follow rules, and they MUST behave. I had already written this off as Tuck's last day as a student shadow in the classroom. We would continue with private therapy. Today broke sunny and warm enough that the kids could play on the playground. The first playground day with Tuck as a shadow on the playground. As predicted, Tuck was mobbed. Not only by his class, but by all the other classes sharing the playground. I couldn't get close to Tuck or the student. But Tuck's kid, showed the other kids how Tuck could do hand signals, and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING! I could not hear him, nor do I know what he said. But this kid has never spoken, even on the playground previously. The playground monitors watched in tears, knowing the importance of this breakthrough. But something caused this kid to need to TALK to Tuck. And he did. Now if we can just bring this inside. This is a HUGE breakthrough. The kids behaved in the classroom, and we are starting to see the results we needed to see. I had almost given this up as hopeless. It was a great day, and Tuck's classroom shadowing will continue. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
diddy wrote:
But Tuck's kid, showed the other kids how Tuck could do hand signals, and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING! That's awfully cool! It made me all weepy. Well done to all of you. -- Shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship) http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther) |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
"diddy" none wrote in message . .. The playground monitors watched in tears, knowing the importance of this breakthrough. But something caused this kid to need to TALK to Tuck. And he did. Now if we can just bring this inside. This is a HUGE breakthrough. The kids behaved in the classroom, and we are starting to see the results we needed to see. I had almost given this up as hopeless. It was a great day, and Tuck's classroom shadowing will continue. Great news! It's wonderful that you and Tuck have made such a contribution. And I'm happy to hear you survived the nasty weather out there in Ohio. I remember the tornado that ripped up Xenia. I had planned to visit my friend that weekend, but then went the next week. It's (nearly) Spring! Paul and Muttley |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
Shelly spoke these words of wisdom in news:frbp0d$87p$1
@registered.motzarella.org: diddy wrote: But Tuck's kid, showed the other kids how Tuck could do hand signals, and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING! That's awfully cool! It made me all weepy. Well done to all of you. Thank you. I'm still high on this. It was a weepy moment all the way around |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
diddy wrote:
Thank you. I'm still high on this. It was a weepy moment all the way around I hope the high continues for a long while. You're doing good work, and it's well deserved. -- Shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship) http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther) |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
"Paul E. Schoen" spoke these words of wisdom in
: "diddy" none wrote in message . .. The playground monitors watched in tears, knowing the importance of this breakthrough. But something caused this kid to need to TALK to Tuck. And he did. Now if we can just bring this inside. This is a HUGE breakthrough. The kids behaved in the classroom, and we are starting to see the results we needed to see. I had almost given this up as hopeless. It was a great day, and Tuck's classroom shadowing will continue. Great news! It's wonderful that you and Tuck have made such a contribution. And I'm happy to hear you survived the nasty weather out there in Ohio. I remember the tornado that ripped up Xenia. I had planned to visit my friend that weekend, but then went the next week. It's (nearly) Spring! Paul and Muttley We haven't survived it yet. Branches came down on the fences. We did some emergency patches... But the dog's keep leaking from the yard. The fence people can't get here for weeks. They are swarmed with many people with the same dilemma. Stringing chain across keeps the horse in, but the dogs don't respect cobbled fence repairs. Hand walking here, and it's not enough. All this snow is melting, and the ground is sloppy and soggy, and since it's fields, and not sidewalks, we are all muddy. Nothing like walking the dogs in mud that sucks the boots off your feet. We are now in the aftermath phase. I need fence people! |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
On 2008-03-13 13:27:43 -0400, diddy none said:
and then his lips moved, and the kid was TALKING! Wow. What you and Tuck have done is amazing. Canine therapy is a powerful tool as evinced by this incredible transformation. You're right, this is HUGE. And so fast. Now on to the next step; talking inside the school building. The fact that Tuck could reach this boy is going to have so many positive implications for the rest of his life. Good for both of you and good for the boy who wouldn't speak. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
"diddy" none wrote in message: But Tuck's presence in the classroom, although not affecting this boy, creating a huge distraction and disturbance that negatively impacted the learning environment for the rest of the students. I got to this part and went Uh-Oh!, but am thrilled to bits that it worked out. How totally awesome that Tuck finally got the poor child to communicate! Good on both of you. Suja |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
"Suja" spoke these words of wisdom in
: "diddy" none wrote in message: But Tuck's presence in the classroom, although not affecting this boy, creating a huge distraction and disturbance that negatively impacted the learning environment for the rest of the students. I got to this part and went Uh-Oh!, but am thrilled to bits that it worked out. How totally awesome that Tuck finally got the poor child to communicate! Good on both of you. Suja Thank you. I had little to no part in this. And Tuck didn't ask him to talk either. So i can't claim the kudo's. The momentum was all from the part of the kid. But I remember, when I first started this, I did not want to drive 2 1/2 hours away to pay $40 to get my dog tested as a therapy, dog, then pay to get them certified (insurance purposes) and then pay my own gas and donate my time to work with kids that I didn't know and didn't care about. I got talked into this. I did this under pressure from a friend. SHE was a school teacher. Teaching was her profession of choice. Both of my parents were school teachers, and I knew early on, teaching was NOT something i wanted to do (My parents loved it, but although a noble profession, not a good paying on, and involving a lot of money, summers, time in continueing education, and after school grading , meetings and class preparation. I wanted a job i could walk away from and leave. Teachers work all summer, even when not in the classroom. it's an all consuming job, done right) And the first week on the job in therapy work, I was skeptical. But as I watch these kids progress, I now am thrilled with their progress. I found that I DO care for them VERY much, They are no longer anonymous beings. I want them to succeed. i can't help looking at them, wonder who they will be. What their futures hold. Will this make a difference? I watch how hard these teachers are working to make the difference in these kids lives, and I can't believe the progress they make with some of the problems they have to work with. They bust their butts, think outside the box and try ANYTHING to make break throughs with these kids. Sitting in their classrooms, it's not at all like school as i remember it. I see the innovative ways they relate to these children and am in awe. That "anything" that they will try, includes bringing dogs into the classroom. I admire their patience. I admire their finesse to gently get behaviors out of these children. And in doing this, I'm in gratitude to my friend, who broke my arm to get involved. I have learned a lot in this program. Even low functioning kids are NOT throw away people! I learned a lot about myself. I learned from Tuck, that each one is a WONDERFUL person. He thinks so, and so do I. I care very much about each of these children, and the journey that this expedition has taken me on. And in the process, i had found that I'm not too old to change, and that my perspectives SHOULD change, and NEEDED to be changed, and ... i like myself a little better. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
speechless
On 2008-03-13 14:16:31 -0400, diddy none said:
i had found that I'm not too old to change None of us is too old to change and when we are open to it, it can be a beautiful thing. Sometimes change has to be a big thing and sometimes it sneaks up on you. You allowed yourself to be strong-armed. You went several extra miles out of the way in the beginning with the certification. You have to extend yourself grooming Tuck for his visits. You went above and beyond to train Tuck on flash cards. You went beyond the call of duty by cementing, in those children's minds, that you cared about them by making them little gifts. You searched your mind and talents to find different approaches that might work. You went a few steps further by attempting to set in place a program that would educate children about good dog stewardship. And then you allowed yourself to really care. Having someone care, who isn't employed by the school or a relation, is a gigantic thing for a kid to experience. Having a dog, a zen master, (and a really fluffy one at that) like Tuck as a friend is a gift. So, take some kudos, pat yourselves (and Reka) on the back, pat your friend on the back and take a moment. It's well deserved. Well done! |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|