The daily dog walk is getting very yellow…
More farmers opting for this round here.
It’s less than a week before Hawklad’s first exam starts. It’s starting to feel very real now. Very rushed. Very unnerving. Not feeling planned, feeling very out of control. Not controlling direction, much more being bounced and pushed around.
No exam revision breakthrough yet but he is trying. The problem is that this statutory process suits the system, certainly not Hawklad. He works best when he can focus on one topic and then go deep on that. Switching between topics disrupts his thinking, his learning, unsettles him. So randomly sitting 20 exams, across 6 subjects, over just a few weeks is so counterproductive to him. To him it feels like any progress made is then largely lost as he switches to a completely different topic.
The last few weeks he has also been trying to build rapport with a Teaching Assistant he has worked well with previously at school. If he needed to use a scribe in the exam then this seemed like a good option. The Student and Scribe need to develop that understanding and confidence for the best chance of success. With Asperger’s this is even more important. But now the Exam Board has ruled out using this Teaching Assistant in his exams. New regulations prevent scribes having a direct teaching link with the student. The Teaching Assistant has been providing some one to one English help as part of the weekly school sessions. Back to square one on this, any scribe would now be a stranger to Hawklad, he won’t have time to build up a rapport with a new potential person. A scribe is now not an option. So he is committed to reading and typing up his exams without help. With the grammar and spelling assistants turned off – he losses marks for using these.
A week to revise.
A week to try to learn to type much faster.
A week isn’t long enough.
Less than a week to go.
A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. 
Best of luck to him! 🍀
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He will do his best and then enjoy the summer ❤️
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I hope that these issues are sorted out before the exams start. Best of luck
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Thank you Sadje
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Sending you best wishes
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Good luck to Hawklad!
Do you know what the flowers are? I’m guessing rapeseed or mustard – but that’s truly guessing.
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Just saying, but rapeseed is now called canola. I haven’t heard the the term rapeseed forv20 years, at least. In Alberta, canola doesn’t fliwer till well in July or August. It’s planted in May, like, right now.
Take care, Lee.
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Thanks! I picked up the name from Japanese programs and never botheted to look up the common name.
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Rapeseed was the common name for centuries, but, you know. I’m not sure what year they gave it a new name, or who changed it even. Now, abd hopefully forevf, it will be called csnola.
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Rapeseed. Taking over here
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Our hillsides go yellow every spring but yhis year the plants are 6′ tall instead of 2, due to all the heavy rain. I think ours is mustard but I really don’t know.
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A week is definitely not long enough. Sorry the teaching assistant isnt allowed to scribe for hawklad. Seems a bit stupid not to let someone he knows and whom he’s built up a rapport with scribe for him! Rules, rules! Stupid rules!
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He can only do his best ❤️
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🧡🧡
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❤️❤️
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Rules set by the ignorant
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Even school think they are crazy.
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May the forces of good carry him onward!
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Thank you 🙏
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It’s sickening. You find something that works, then the bloody system takes it away. It is so unfair on Hawklad. Why can’t they leave well alone? This is where the education system fails our youngsters. Good luck in his exams Gary.
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It feels like it’s one step forward then 2 back
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I know that feeling.
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It shows total lack of understanding/empathy for students with Asperger’s. In years to come I imagine people will look back and wonder how a society could have tolerated such unnecessary cruelty, because it seems to me that is what it is. At least soon it will be done. Best wishes to you both.
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It really does. Those is charge are driven my a dogma that is wrecking education for so many great kids.
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It will be over with before you know it and things will settle down again, where they could be cake and walks in peace and time to breathe again before you know it.
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Once they are over then we get on with the truly important stuff. Living
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Of course you can do that in the meantime too.
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Wishing him all the best. My son’s feeling very nervous too.
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Thank you 🙏
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Ctacking image Gary. I haven’t seen a rapeseed field for ages here. In LIncolnshire they were everywhere. Best of luck to Hawk. I feel in today’s climate he is going to need it.
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It’s strange around here it used to be the odd field now it’s the majority of fields
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The school system is so flawed and accommodations must be made to support students like Hawklad and their needs and their strengths and their unique approach to learning. It truly is a shame that this is what it’s come to.
Your spirit and his spirit are such an inspiration, Gary. Whatever happens in a week from now, you both have given it your all.
Best wishes to you and Hawklad!
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Thank you 🙏 you know this, it’s about happiness, the rest can fall in behind that.
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It seems any more that it’s the system that is important along with those who set up and run the system. They care nothing for those having to live by the system and whether or not they fall through the cracks and are injured by the system. I feel badly that Hawklad has to suffer through this when it could be so much different if they would come up with a system that could accommodate the different needs of individual students. It’s like mass production in a factory where there is no attention given to the quality of an individual product. I pray that he won’t be too burdened by this process.
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It is like a factory system, it’s been designed that way for a purpose sadly.
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We just need to ride this out my friend. It’s too much to do in such a short space of time. Thinking of you ❤️
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It’s definitely a rollercoaster ❤️
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That is awful that they can’t or more like won’t understand how hard they are making it on Hawklad! So sorry. Praying the best for him . Hang in there Dad! ❤
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Thank you ❤️
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It breaks my heart when I read of Hawklad’s school situation. It’s so challenging and it almost sounds like it’s set up for Hawklad to fail. I just can’t wrap my head around that system. Sending hugs and encouragement.
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He can only do his best and the rest will sort itself out
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Reading this made my heart sore. Back home in Newfoundland we have a saying “What a frigging sin” and that is apt here. I cannot even imagine the levels of stress you’re both experiencing. I will be praying for Hawklad and for you as well.
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Thank you 🙏. That is an expression
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Newfoundlanders are known for their quirky sayings 🙂
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Oh. How are the exams going? Best of luck!
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