I reached out to Bridget’s special educator explaining the barriers we were having at home teaching Bridget. How we have to model everything, hand over hand, we have to point to the words in reading and do all of the scribing for the written work. On the computer for math we have to read each question and then help her find the answer. Within moments she called me, of course you have to do all this! She is a 1:1 for academics.

It was a shock.

Not that she is a 1:1, I have her IEP practically memorized.

I thought with all the gains she was making, the more independent she is getting at home, I thought that was transferring to academics. I thought the work they were assigning was appropriate for her to be doing at home. It is not new learning, it is material she should know.  Some of it is the medium we are using, she is learning how to use the computer for the first time. Some of it is behavior (yup, I own it–she is not always perfect).  Most of it is that we are not trained on how to educate our child.

Thankfully her team is a “what can we do” type of team and we are figuring out ways for us to work together to stem as much regression as possible.  I believe they are doing this of their own volition, which speaks to their professionalism and caring for our children.  After my (ahem) rant about the District not having a remote learning plan in place, they are currently working on one.

It’s not just the students that need a plan, but the educators do as well. How unfair for them to be trying to do the best they can and serve their students but have no guidebook? They are used to working on a schedule, with students at designated times and on specific functions. Over the past month they have had limited time, as they are stretched thin.  I hope having a remote learning plan for their students eases the educator’s burden and does not increase it.

I have hope, finally, that with the plan Bridget’s special educator and speech therapist are helping to create that we will have structure for Bridget. We will have competent educators working with Bridget, on a daily basis. I know the plan won’t be perfect, it won’t be what happens in school. The plan will have to be modified and fluid as Bridget’s learning style does not conform to any single lesson plan.

But we have a plan in the creation stage.

We have teachers and therapists who truly care for Bridget.

We have hope.