Thursday, December 07, 2006

The Waiting Game

The process of referring a child to contract services can be grueling. It's not the paperwork, although there is a lot of it. It's not the additional testing that's often needed.

It's the waiting.

Maintaining this boy in our setting, day to day, minute to minute, is the challenge. The intensive interventions we have put into place until a new placement is approved ARE working-- none of the other students have been hurt since we moved into DEFCON 1. That's my nickname for the hellish, stranglehold of a plan that keeps the kid in my class but separated at all times from other children. We must be hyper-alert, always at the ready, with no room for mistakes.

For God's sake, don't let down your guard. And by the way, keep teaching, and do it well.

The pressure is poisoning my year.

Today, I got a little sip of antidote. The woman from contract services came by to observe my little guy, and now the process is being fast-tracked. Still, mid January is the likely date of departure.

Like I said, it's the waiting and maintaining that is killing me. Imagine how the kid feels.