Rollercoaster Tuesday

M came in today (after missing school yesterday) just as cheery as usual.  He's always quick to bring a smile to my face shouting, "Hello! I am here!" when he walks through my classroom door. 

This joy was brought to a quick, immediate stop when he saw the word "November" posted in various places around the room.  He then came to this conclusion: It CANNOT be November because I did not get to wear my costume to school.  Randomly throughout the day M would lose it, melting down about the fact that it can't be November now because October 31 means he gets to be part of the Costume Parade, and we have a Halloween party, but he wasn't there for it.  He couldn't rationalize that the day was gone and over, and couldn't be brought back. 

M was just in a funk all day since that.  At recess he started screaming at Mr. G for kicking the football instead of tossing it to him (apparently M's rules are that Mr. G tosses it and M kicks it back, and that Mr. G is NOT allowed to kick it), and then when Mr. G tossed it to him and M missed catching it, he started screaming AGAIN that Mr. G was being mean and that he wasn't playing correctly.  The language impairment really got in his way because he just couldn't rationalize that there were no set rules to the game, as well as the idea that Mr. G did not throw the ball too far on purpose just to make M miss. Ugh.

Sadly, L was not at school again today.  I'm hoping to see his sweet little face in the morning.

This morning I was Specially Educated when going to my first official meeting with the mother of a student, the social worker, caseworker, therapist, and someone who I am not sure of her profession.  I learned that some times the right thing to do is not what you think is best for the student, and you have to do your best to be a professional rather than fighting against something that you fear will be detrimental to a student.  I want to believe that people can change (which is why I am in this profession; to help my students become more than others believe they can) but the past is giving me cause to be extremely concerned.  Prayer and documentation will help to make the right situation for the child, and hopefully things will work out the way they are supposed to.

This was a hard lesson to learn.