On the echo “Heartbeats” by Aron Wright
https://youtu.be/gAM2TKtJ-9o
I usually like to meet in person with Levi’s new teacher before school starts because I know that he likes to disappear in a classroom and although his 504 follows him around it just gives a glimpse into the magical world of this sweet boy who likes to hide under the radar and struggles to ever ask for help in the classroom!!
So here it goes...
Dear 5th grade teacher,
Levi had a really rough start in Kindergarten... it was not an easy year and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get him back into the building. I’m going to link the letter I wrote to his first grade teacher the night before school started ... I actually made it into a blog post.
https://platefullofboys.squarespace.com/home/2019/3/3/dear-first-grade-teacher
I think I cry every time I read it and especially when I read it to his new teachers... but it says so much about the struggle... Levi is quiet. He never moved from green in k-2 and he cried in third grade the one time he had to sign the book because I forgot to enter his reading minutes in his agenda when he left it on my nightstand the night before... 🙄 I actually once offered him money to get on yellow for the day... he turned me down. He is extremely anxious, a complete perfectionist, and does not love to be the center of attention… But you might never know this except for the fact that I’m telling you. He struggles to ask for help (he would rather go unnoticed) and is a complete rule follower (at school!) which honestly makes it really hard for teachers to notice him.
But at home it’s hard.... he has a very short temper. He freaks out if he doesn’t understand something and that usually ends with him throwing the book or papers across the room. He gets tripped up on words when he needs help and gets frustrated to the point that he can’t even get any words out sometimes. And he gives up before he even gives things a shot on the regular.
I’m telling you both all of this not to pigeon hole him but because I’m a strong believer that you have to set youself up for success and sometimes being the kid who doesn’t demand attention ends up being a very lonely and hard place to be and in turn that makes him a very hard person to live with...
Fifth grade is going to be a big year for him. He graduated from Take Flight at the end of last year and while I know that he is a great reader the dyslexia program was his island. The beautiful incredible place where he could relax and everything made sense. It was his reprieve from treading water all day long. That’s the funny thing… there is no cure for dyslexia… it doesn’t get fixed. There is a program to help kids navigate reading but dyslexia will forever be a part of how Levi moves through life and well since every teacher isn’t trained on how to teach dyslexic kids… Levi now goes back to treading water all day while trying to remember to advocate for himself… you know that same quiet kid who doesn’t like attention.
So now I’m going to ask you both for a favor... if you could carve out some time soon to connect with him by himself maybe before or after school or I’m really up for any ideas you have for connecting to him on a personal level. It will be a night and day difference for the entire year. He thrives on that personal safe connection and when it is given to him, he becomes a different child.
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to read this email during this insane time. We have heard so much about you and have no doubt that this will be an amazing year.
Thanks so much again,
Amanda (the sometimes crazy overbearing always advocating mom)
