After we tried out the class for the first time last week, we've done some talking here at home as well as lots of prepping ("When the teacher tells you to sit, what do you do?" "Sit." "Good boy." Now that I read this in black and white, it sounds like he's a dog. We were really just encouraging him to follow the teacher's directions, whatever they may be, as he refused to participate last week.)
When the door opened to let him into the room, he was off so fast he didn't even give me a kiss. I knew then that he'd be okay with me not being there. Parker screamed bloody murder, because he remembered the place from our one visit six days ago and how he played inside with boys and kids and now I wasn't letting him in to play. Plus, I don't think he liked being separated from Connar.
Connar went in, and Parker and I sat in the hall so I'd be close enough if needed this first real class time all by himself. I peeked through the glass door a couple times...okay, a couple handful of times, let's be honest. :) I was super careful not to let him see me, because I wanted him to completely forget that I was there, if that was possible.
The first time I peeked in he was doing great and was sitting in a row with the other boys. Yay! The next time, I could see his little body running to the back of the classroom and the teacher trying to persuade him to come back to the group. Then, I looked to see that he went and sat next to the teacher at the front of the room. The teacher in me thought, "Oh great. Sitting next to the teacher isn't a good thing. It's a form of proximity control, because there's a need for the teacher to have Connar close to him." But every time I looked in on him after that, he was with the other boys, was participating, and was having a ball! Needless to say, he pulled it together and his first class all alone was a success. I'm sure it was the prepping we did beforehand. ;)
I'm thinking that Parker and I will be going for some one on one time at the park next door tomorrow while Connar is in class. He did that well. He did so well I had to physically go into the room and
Now that he understands he is expected to listen to the teacher, I'm thinking we should discuss what he is expected to call the teacher, because I'm pretty sure "Hey Man" and "Hey Guy" (both of which he definitely called the teacher as I was watching him) aren't it. :)
