So that’s the first week of the next instalment of our school at home project. The first was when the whole school was doing online education. This time most of the school is back but our son is still trying to home school via online education.

So how has it gone?

I think the best word to use is Patchy. Actually two words – Very Patchy.

A few teachers are making sure that Hawklad is keeping up. They try to share as many class notes as possible. Provide structured work and will mark it. Then you get some teachers who send a few summary notes, not much but at least it gives us a feel for what our son should be looking at. Then some teachers are just dumping the whole terms class assignments across (without instructions). So for one subject that was a single 70 page document filled with questions. No idea how much and when the work is submitted. No idea the format. Poor Hawklad is convinced that he needs to complete all the booklet right now. So much stress for him. Then you get some subjects where we get absolutely nothing. And I mean nothing. In terms of pastoral care again it is nothing.

So definitely very patchy. Speaking to school I suspect that will be the case going forward. Fingers crossed that those teachers trying to support Hawklad will continue to do so. It’s good to have a few subjects where Hawklad feels like he is on top of things. Keeping up with his classmates.

At present we are working on getting through to the end of October and have another think about things. It’s a milestone to work to but it is highly likely that it won’t represent the end of the project. Hawklad is just starting on a very long road of help and counselling. Any progress is likely to be hard fought and slow. The School at a Home project will be a long one, well past the next 7 weeks.

Much patience is required and never losing sight that his wellbeing always comes first. Schooling comes behind that.

63 thoughts on “Another week.”

  2. Beautiful picture of the Creeping Thistle! Did you know it symbolizes Strength, Protection, and Hex Breaking? Well now you do…
    You have the Strength to Protect Hawklad and help him Break the Hex of his anxieties. You used the perfect picture for this post. You got this. WE got this! All of us doing whatever it takes to help our kiddos succeed and thrive in this world run by Idjits & Bozos. WE Sooooo got this!💌💌

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  7. Yes, it might seem like a slow go, but one foot in front of the other with God to guide will get you there. Don’t worry about anything but doing what is best for your boy. In the end, that is indeed what matters most. I am glad to know there are at least some teachers doing more than phoning it in. I pray that continues to be the case.

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  8. I hear you. One of mine has a packet, with sections that seem divided by letter (it’s first grade, obviously). Then, on the computer, he had to watch a video about the sound of the letter ‘p.’
    Me, writing to his teacher: “So, is he supposed to do this section way in the middle, with the letter ‘p’?”
    Teacher, sounding confused: “No, we’re only on Week 2. He should do Week 2 in the packet.”
    – which, by the way, is practicing writing the letter ‘b.’ 🤦‍♀️

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  10. As I’m training to be a teacher, it’s really good and important for me to read this to consider what the impact of my teaching could be positively, or negatively…

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    1. You will be a great teacher. You get life. The best teaching son had with his Aspergers was in Primary school. A trainee teacher was in school for 3 months, he made such an impact. He said that he received no training at all in terms of autism. But he figured out that he would have so many kids over the years that he would teach himself. Teachers can still make such an impact.

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      1. My brother is (when he’s not doing a masters in art) a good teaching assistant. Hopefully it runs in the family- my parents were teachers too! We have had a bit of generic SEND training, but hopefully I’ll have a positive impact on the autistic spectrum kids I teach 🙂

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  11. Oh, Hawklad…see, this is why I’m all for teachers teaching online, or teaching in person, but for heaven’s sake schools should NOT make teachers do BOTH. THAT is what is so unfair about this current situation. It already takes hours upon hours for teachers to prep classroom materials, and then there are the hours gathering and transferring things into an online environment. Some teachers can find that balance, sure, but others? Nope. I’m sure the teachers dumping stuff on Hawklad are those who feel they’re already doing their job in the classroom and shouldn’t have to do it twice. I can’t blame them for feeling like they’re basically doing two teaching gigs for one gig’s worth of pay, and simply don’t have enough hours in the day to do both well. And who suffers from this practice? Kids like Hawklad, and the teachers themselves. It’s just…oh, it’s just frickin’ tragic.

    But Hawklad STILL has a one-up that other kids do not: a loving parent helping him as best he can at home. So many simply don’t have the help at home and are just left to fend for themselves. So, keep hanging in there, Friend–you WILL make it xxxxxxxxxxxx

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    1. Its always good to hear from you. Here teachers are so under valued and underpaid. The school is supposed to have those teachers who do the online stuff, the pastoral stuff. But it doesn’t happen. It’s a bit like the school. They make a big thing about having a dedicated room for kids with autism to go to when they need it. But in practice it’s a small dingy room, filled with boxes and used by teachers to eat there lunches and take brakes. We can only do our best (including teachers). We never can go past 100%. So we will do our best and see where that takes us. Look after yourself my friend. xxxxxxxxxx

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  12. I strongly suspect that whatever you provide with the patchy (sorry, very patchy) support may well be more appropriate and effective and useful than anything he would have done in school. Plus, he’ll learn it more easily because he is relaxed and trusts the environment, not constantly focused on the ‘risks’ of the classroom etc. Just my four pennies worth x

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  15. Might I suggest that you or your son let the teachers who are going the extra mile know how helpful it is and that you appreciate them for what seems to be going above and beyond. Hearing that one is appreciated often makes it worth the extra effort.

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