As part of a child’s behavior modification plan, the student will be transferring to my classroom for the last quarter of the school year. The student starts tomorrow. Bringing a new student into the mix, especially, one with a history of behavior issues consistent with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant is going to be interesting. But, I have to keep in mind that if I am nervous, the child must be feeling the same if not more uncertain about what it’s going to be like to be in a new class.
I’ve notified my class and we wrote her Welcome letters as part of our Writing unit on letter writing. I am going into this like it’s the first day of school. We have to welcome this student, and I have to be clear about my expectations, management style, and what procedures are followed every day. We will model appropriate and inappropriate behavior. The goal is to get her on the same routine as the other kids and make her feel comfortable along the way.
I just hope and pray this doesn’t throw off my class dynamic and doesn’t undo all the progress I’ve made with my other children struggling with the same behaviorial issues. We’ve gotten into a good groove in my class.
Here’s to compassion, consistency, and patience.