Kaitlyn's Teacher

I didn't want to steal CJ's thunder since yesterday was his first day of school so I waited to post this one. I met with Kaitlyn's teacher after school yesterday. It was just my way of introducing my smart, enthusiastic, amazing daughter to him and finding out how her IEP (Individual Education Plan) will be incorporated into her day. First I just have to say I am so optimistic about what Kaitlyn's year is going to bring for her. In just three days of school her teacher this year has a better understanding of just how amazing, sweet, and capable my little girl is than her teacher from last year managed to learn about her. He has made her feel so special and welcome in a brand new school and this whole transition has gone so smoothly so far.

Now, even though Kaitlyn has 3 hours of special ed pull out in reading a week she will not feel that it is a punishment or that she is missing out on anything. She will start her reading time with the class where they will discuss what he wants to see from them that day. Then everyone will split up into their groups and numerous groups will be leaving to go to other parts of the building or the classroom. Kaitlyn will go off with the special ed teacher for her group time with her. And in special ed part of the things they are trying to incorporate with her is teaching her the different sounds vowels make since she has zero grasp on that. When she comes back from her half an hour or so with the special ed teacher she will then do a small group with her teacher where she will read with him. She will not be coming back in the middle of snack or missing anything at all that the other kids are doing like what would happen with her last year.

Her teacher believes that the reason you can't read her handwriting is because she's just so excited and wants to get so much information out on the paper and her head is working faster than she can actually write. They are going to work on that with her so she can organize her thoughts and take her time. She has a good base of how to write a story with a beginning, middle, and end. I must say no one has ever said this to me before that I can remember. I mean I know she can tell one heck of a story, but it usually gets lost in translation when she puts it down on paper. I don't understand why it has taken this long for someone to find out that she can write.

Her day is extremely structured with a schedule written on the board that they follow to a T every day. There doesn't seem to be any if you can't transition properly as a class we will then miss out on that activity all together like would happen last year. Her teacher last year just seemed so frazzled and lost most of the time not knowing what time it was. That does not seem to be the case this year.

I am so far extremely impressed with Kaitlyn's teacher. He's equally impressed with Kaitlyn and I think just the fact that she knows he is really on her side will just do wonders for her. Her teacher last year had some clear favorites and it was obvious that Kaitlyn wasn't it. All of that is completely different this year. She has a teacher who truly gets Kaitlyn and finds so much good in her. There wasn't much I could tell him about her and what a wonderful little girl she is because he already saw it.

So I just have to say I truly appreciate this wonderful teacher who has taken such a shine to my little girl. The feelings are clearly mutual I must say. Kaitlyn can't help but gush and there is a twinkle in her eye when she talks about school this year. So I just know she's going to have the best year ever!