Coup d'etat

Maggie’s teacher emailed me asking for ideas for lessons to engage Maggie a bit more. She is concerned that Maggie is bored in class. I appreciate that and gave her a list of things Maggie likes to do and things she did in middle school. I copied her middle school teacher too so he could weigh in.

Of course, I’m not sure what happens during the school day, but I know that Maggie LOVES going to school more than any kid I’ve ever seen. It is her social outlet and the academics are waaaay down on her list of things to do. Rather than bored I think Maggie may be a bit intimidated by the whole transition to high school. She is still getting used to all the changes, the new building, the new size, the new teacher, the new classmates etc etc etc.

I don’t remember any problem transitioning to middle school. But Maggie’s first year of middle school was a bad health year for her, and any issues with transition would have been subordinated to the health concerns. After that first year, she was the only member of her class with a communication device and she was GOOD at it. That made her the queen bee, and she relished playing that role.

In her new class, all the kids have communications devices and they are all good at it. She has been dethroned; the Queen Bee of the 8th grade is now a drone as a Freshman.
Though wrapped in different paper, this is a very typical problem. For a teenager who can’t walk, talk, sit or stand, and who breathes eats and pees through a tube, that’s fine.

Call me crazy, but I love the typical problems.