i need an intervention for this intervention

Every day from 2:30 to 3:00 is our intervention time. We alternate between math and reading every two weeks. We get together as a grade level and divide the kids in three: those who got it and are ready for the next level, those who didn't get it all, and those who kinda got it but need more practice.

The kids are in different groups different weeks, depending on their ability for that particular skill level (I guess what I'm trying to say is "Don't worry, the low kids aren't always together in the low group.")

This week, I'm with the "low" group in math and we're working on very basic counting skills.

So there I am, sitting at a table with five children who are all struggling in this area. "Alana" (the kiwi girl) is sitting on my right. I've already had to redirect her eighteen times in a two minute time span. She's supposed to be counting out unifix cubes to match the number on a card. She even has the Resource Room teacher sitting on her other side.

I look over, and she's holding one of her boots upside down, convinced there's a crayon inside. (There was. Don't ask.)

I look over later, and she's talking to someone completely invisible. (Either that, or I was witnessing some kind of psychotic episode.)

I look over a third time, and she's placed a unifix cube on the tip of each of her fingers, as if they were fake nails.

The other teacher and I kept glancing at each other. In the midst of this frustrating situation, we used the best coping mechanism we have at our disposal: laughter!!

7 comments:

Sarah Garb said...

I often wonder if the kids spend just as much time as we do planning for the next day. "OK--I'll open the lesson with finding all of the crayons hiding in my clothing. And I think I can squeeze in an imaginary conversation before fingernailblocks."

Maybe 2:30-3:00 daily is Alana's time to plan, too....

Anonymous said...

hahah--adorable! Brenda

Anonymous said...

I REALLY want to ask about the crayon!! Love you, Mom

Shell said...

LOL It's so hard not to laugh at their antics sometimes!

Elissa Newton said...

I was working with my son on his homework and he kept saying "There's a snake in my boot". I thought it was from Toy Story and kept redirecting him. Turns out he has a little plastic snake in his boot :P
Keep laughing. Sometimes it's all you can do.

Charlotte said...

This sounds (sadly) eerily similar to many of our family dinners.

Aleksandra Nearing said...

Patience is a virtue... :)

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