Blue

I mentioned last week that we are doing "compliance training" with a kinder kid who is having a tough time following directions in class. Well, I can't recall if I mentioned that the kid pretty much refuses to speak - to anyone. Some actually wondered if he was mute or at least a selective mute. Well, last week I met him, and yesterday I attempted to work with him. He pretty much refused to acknowledge me so I kind of just guided him about the room forcing him to do everything he was attempting to escape. He would cover his ears and although he looked in my direction if I was to lock eyes with him he'd quickly look away. Today I seemed to make a lot more progress. I would give directives and then walk away, come back and praise for whatever minute progress he had made or prompt again and then walk away again. He didn't get much of his work done still, and he still ripped apart his workbook, but he stayed in his seat (one of our goals) and did do some of his assignment. The big progress came in working with him one-on-one. He actually came with me today to walk down to our little room to play video games. Sure, he got side tracked a bit, but I didn't have to use any muscle to get him where I needed him to be - so that was a huge improvement. Once we reached out little room I let him pick out a video game and play for 5 minutes. Then I let him know we needed to take a break and do some of the classwork he hadn't got to while we were in class. AND he actually stopped playing the game without tantruming/shutting down on me/acting out agressively and did the work. I, of course, continued to lavish him with praise for every little thing he did. Gotta feed this new it's ok to do my work mentality. My biggest excitment of the day was when I asked him what a color was and he actually replied back,

"Blue"

After that he even said a couple of short phrases to me! I was shocked and completely tickled pink. He was compliant the rest of the time together, even put away the video games without being asked. We made a deal that he would win a toy if he walked (I specified this meant no running, skipping, or hopping) back to the class with me. He shook my hand in agreement and we had a pleasant walk back to the classroom. Who is this kid? I am amazed. Guess that compliance training stuff actually works.
I've got another behavior modification kid that I just started working with yesterday. We have a Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) sheet that is passed back in forth between the teacher who fills it out and my supervisor and I who talk with the kid. Yesterday I met with this little 2nd grade girl for the first time and explained to her the system. She has 2 goals: stay in her seat AND raise her hand and not call out. I made her say them to me at LEAST 10 times until I knew she had the memorized. Then, we practiced them. I said silly questions that I knew she knew the answer for and she practiced raising her hand and waiting for me to call on her. After all that she got to pick out the prize from the prize wall that she wanted to work towards getting: colored pencils. This morning, on a whim, I decided to go sit in her classroom. She got all wiggly and excited to see me so I squatted down next to her and made her tell me, again, what she was going to be working on. She told me and then I stayed in the classroom and watched her for a half hour. That kid cracked me up. She kept checking back to see if I was watching her and occasionally, when she needed to get out of her chair to throw away a paper or something she would bolt out and bolt back, like if she did it quick enough I wouldn't see her. Too funny. Anyway on my way out I stopped by and told her what an awesome job she had done and that she should keep up her great work so she could get those pencils. She told me her goals one more time and I left. When she came and met with me at the end of the day she had done what was asked of her 2/3's of the day. pretty awesome improvement considering she didn't do it at all the day before! So she won her pencils and we played go fish to reward her for her good behavior. She said to me as she was leaving my little room "this was fantastic!"
Don't tell anybody, but some days, this internship thing is pretty fun.