Monday, February 10, 2014

Yellow

Olivia’s class has a color system so the kids can be aware of their behavior and adjust it as necessary. They start out on green, move to yellow if their behavior becomes less than favorable and down to red if things get really bad. They have the option of changing their behavior throughout the day in an effort to get back to green.

I actually did not know about this system until last Friday. See, Olivia has never been on anything but green. That’s not a brag so much as just a statement of fact. Olivia’s social issues are more internal than external. She’s not one to act out so much as she’s one to pull into herself when she’s overwhelmed. Sort of the idea ‘special needs’ student, I’d think, if you’re a teacher with a lot of special needs kids in your classroom.

Anyway.

How did we find out about the color system on Friday? Because Olivia came home Friday afternoon with a bone to pick with her father. She was pissed at him, is what she was.

She came home and gave him hell. Why? Because he’d forgotten to put her backpack on her that morning. And showing up to school without a backpack and thus, without your folder, automatically puts a child on yellow for the day. There is no way to adjust your behavior to move off yellow when your backpack and folder are at home.

Tom said it was the funniest little rant he’s ever been subjected to. I wish I’d been there to see it. He also said he’ll never forget to put her backpack on her again. When he said that Olivia put her hands on her hips and declared, “You better not!”

I think perhaps the teacher’s point was made. Even if O’s dad forgets her backpack in the future, SHE won’t forget to remind him. And isn’t that part of growing up? She’s becoming more responsible for her own things. I’m beginning to think landing on yellow wasn’t the worst thing to happen to her, even if at the time, she felt like it was.

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