溫心小屋
以文養心。原創文學，請勿抄襲,如需轉載，請告知。謝謝
昨晚，因為見到兒子英語小測成績得了個D， 今早批評他一痛後，他早飯沒吃，就上學了。我想這孩子是每隔幾個月要敲下腦子才行。回想起過去六年多的學習，想想他已經超出我的預期，有了上進心，也比先前努力，成績也穩步提升。因此，這讓我對他的未來有所期待。也因為這種強烈的期待，才讓我一下變得心情低落。而這個D, 放在他初中時，我眼都不眨一下的。 早上和他說了：你在美國讀了六年書，我是一天學都沒在上，但我怎麽覺得如果放我去考英文，我都不至於拿D. 從今天開始，你每天讀十頁文學類書，FICTION, NON-FICTION, 由你選。我也跟著讀十頁，讀完我考你。提高英文沒有捷徑，讀著記著學著，水平就上來了。你努力了，你沒做到，我不說你。問題是你看看現在你每天還在玩遊戲。就沒見你讀一本英文課外書。你喜歡玩遊戲，還在乎遊戲上的輸贏。你怎麽沒是到真實社會上的輸贏呢？記住這句話“It is a very competitive society. If you don't work hard, you will be the loser.”
My son has been getting special education since we moved to US when he was ten. His disorder, new school environment, plus the language barrier, created the hardships for the transaction.
I have a clear understanding for what he will face, so I didn’t have any unrealistic expectation. If only teachers and classmates don’t think him a strange boy for his uncontrolled tics, he feels comfortable and has good time in school, then I will feel quite satisfied. This was the goal I set when he was in primary school.
We reached the goal. I haven’t got any letters from school, telling me my son made any troubles, he has misconducts or bad behaviors as he was reported in previous school which was not the case. I was proud of my son for his adaptation, but I was more grateful to the teachers, social worker, and school nurse under principal Laura’s leadership. I felt Laura’s caring, loving, passion, kindness and intelligence the first time I met her during a meeting before my son begin his classes in the school.
My son's achievement in social aspect didn’t surprise me. As his mom, a person who was away from him for only 2.5 months in the past 10 years, I know him very well. Sometimes he could be naughty, but he never did mean things as bad boys are supposed to do.
In academic aspect, there was no miracle happened. His English skill was far behind other students, also below the standard level in nationwide. He was a student under the help of ESL program. His math was in the standard range. For his poor performance in English learning, I doubted if he has a learning disability named “Dyslexia”. I spoke out my concern to his English teacher, then he got evaluated. The evaluation result excluded my prediction. By then, I really didn’t know I was happy or unhappy for the result. If the result shows YES, then he will be eligible of getting more help which is good. If the result shows NO, he can’t get extra help, but it means he has not that disability.
Since his poor academic performance in primary school, I didn’t pay much attention on his academic reports when he was in Middle school. I just held the impression that he was one of kid with bad grades, probably the last 20-30% of all the students in his grade. I didn't know I was wrong till when he was in 10th grade, one day, I told him my impression, then he told me his grades in Middle school was not as bad as what I thought, in general, he thought he was a student with average grades.
Year 2020 came the Covid-19 pandemic. Thinking back, I really felt being blessed, since neither of us got Covid in the past 2 years. At mean time, the pandemic didn’t give us as much impacts as it did to most of Americans. After 3 months distance learning starting on March 20th, 2020, followed by two months summer holiday, he became a high school student who could physically sit in class.
Taking in-person classes was his choice. Based on the unique situation of each family, school offered two learning options, in-person learning and remote learning. He chose the first one because "in-person learning is more functional for me, even though remote learning is more relaxing." I was pleased to hear his explains, since from that I knew he wants to be good and would like to work hard to be good.
