Moving Forward, No Matter How Slow, is Still Progress...

My mind has been in overdrive for the past week, and I have wondered how to slow it down. Okay, wait, that's partially true, I have been deep in Words with Friends games, reading books, and watching tv. At the same time, I had a pretty cool success yesterday as an educator. Obviously, names will be withheld, but it's an example of how Special Education students can make huge gains, it just takes time. *grin*

So, I have a young person on my caseload who has STRUGGLED with assemblies. I mean, doesn't want to be there, has no interest in being there, and typically has to leave the gym before the assembly is even over. So yesterday was our monthly assembly, and I wasn't expecting anything different. Then the assembly happened and I was smiling. It is a cool story that I want to share with you. In the end, yesterday was a reminder for me that I need to keep going even when I don't feel like progress is happening fast enough. *grin*

So, I went by my student's regular education classroom beforehand and told him that we had an assembly and I wanted to see him in line with his class headed to the assembly after the announcements. I gave my para the new red/green beed necklace to encourage him throughout the assembly. Next thing we knew, he was walking to the assembly with his class. I should mention that last month I had to go help assist him to the assembly because he refused to leave his regular classroom. *grin*

I kept my distance yesterday morning because I had a parent meeting that was probably going to happen before the end of the assembly and I would have to leave. I looked over and he was sitting in a chair beside his teacher and para. I grinned. He typically rolls on the floor and/or climbs under objects. During the time I saw him during the assembly he sat and did a GREAT job! I was so very proud of him! When I returned to the classroom after the parent meeting, I made a big deal about it and he was grinning ear-to-ear. *grin* I was too. My para said there was a minor hiccup at one point, but he turned it around. (Very common in my classroom!) I still considered it a success.

My students each have their own "thing" that holds them up, or makes learning harder than the typical student. They're not stupid by any stretch of the imagination, they simply need extra support and help in various areas of their academic lives. I am constantly online trying to find things that will assist me in trying to help them reach their goals.

As I sat this morning and pondered this past week, I was so very proud of that student for making it through the assembly! Did I still have hiccups throughout the day with that student? Sure, that's the way my world works. *grin* At the same time I was grinning this morning because I realized how impatient I was becoming with some of my little people, and God reminded me today that that's okay.

It doesn't matter how slowly the progress happens, the point is that it does happen. Maybe not something huge like an assembly, but I had a student want to fluency read SEVERAL times yesterday to beat his score when he's a kid that refuses to work on a regular basis. It's progress though. Small and slow, it's progress.

I'll take it. Every single time. I'll take it.

Giving up just isn't an option with these young people. Ever.

*grin*
Life.
IS.
Good.