“When you have the privilege of changing someone’s brain, you not only change his or her life, you have the opportunity to change generations to come.” ~ Dr. Daniel Amen
“No! You can’t have her. She is mine,” I screamed, and grabbed on to my daughter’s ankles. With super-human strength, I pulled her down into my arms…away from the woman who had snatched her.
With a baleful glance, the evil-looking woman slinked away.
My heart was pounding and I was sweating profusely as I bolted up in my bed…horrified.
Sleep was gone, and it was still hours away from the dawn.
I never remember my dreams, but six years later, I can still feel the adrenaline rush and palpable fear from that frightful dream.
There was trouble at school. I had been called to a meeting with the teacher and principal. My daughter was having significant difficulty reading.
- She had won 1st place in the science fair
- She was a helpful citizen in her class and
- She was an excellent conversationalist.
But her 2nd grade teacher wanted to retain her because…her reading was below her grade level.
I asked how the instruction would differ during the following year. The answer was, “It’s the same material. There will be no difference, but she will have a chance to get more practice. Third grade is a transitional grade and very important. We don’t want her struggling or failing that grade.”
Fortunately, the principal saw my point and acknowledging my daughter’s brilliance, allowed her to go on to the 3rd grade.
I had seen firsthand how hard my daughter worked, the hours it took her to finish homework that her classmates probably completed in one-third the time. And on the other hand, I had listened to her skillfully question a schoolmate until she extracted the truth out of her. That experience opened my eyes and launched me on a journey into the world of learning differences.
This journey has become my path of advocacy for the children who view the world through eyes that perceive differently from many around them; and a resource for moms (and other caregivers) who are faced with similar challenges from educators who are pressured to see their children as data providers…numbers on a standardized test.
I looked beyond academics, and through a series of programs and exercises, I have helped my daughter retrain her brain. Today, hers is a transformed life. In her high school, she is –
- At the top of her class
- An executive member of the student body
- The dependent “go-to” student for leadership roles
Would you like to know some of what I discovered in my forage for answers to the disheartening circumstance of brilliant children struggling or failing academically?
Florence
How do you manage to have me in tears every time?! Your commitment towards supporting the individuality of children is an eye-opener. I am extremely proud of you #HUGSSS
And could you have a better ending?! Yes, I’d like to know what you learnt #Muaah
Lots of love
Kitto
PS: Are we Facebook Friends? If not, can I PLEASE make you mine? 🙂
Thanks, Kitto, for your affirmation. It is your kind of encouragement that keeps me moving forward in the sea of negativity that so often surrounds these children and those of us who advocate for them.
I appreciate you.
Thank God they allowed her to be promoted!
Yes, indeed. I was happy not to have to engage in a fight with the school.
Thanks for caring.
Kudos to you. Thank goodness your daughter had you to advocate for her.
As you stated, teachers are often pressured into seeing students as data providers. It is truly a sad state of affairs in education today. I am a high school teacher and I see intelligent students who still struggle to read because the state has told them for several years that they read below grade level. How can we expect children to learn when they are repeatedly told this by the state and its testing?
I’ll be back tomorrow to read about how you transformed your daughter and what you learned.
Again, kudos to you. I wish all parents took as much of an interest in their children as you. After all, even teachers with the best of intentions (which I believe is most teachers) cannot get through to all students or see through all the red tape.
I know many teachers are frustrated, and their hands are tied. As a high school teacher you understand that. That’s why more parents need to stop buying into the lie that there’s something inherently wrong with their children, especially the boys, do their research and become their children’s advocates.
My mission is to turn every parent I meet who has a child who is struggling or failing in school into his/her biggest advocate and greatest ally. There are tips and tools that can be used, as well as resources that can be accessed that will help these children.
By the way, the article that follows this was already posted, yesterday. Find it here: