The rhythm of a young boy
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020Tin is frequently called out for being disruptive in school. I know his invisibility in a class of 27 students, seven with special needs, fosters some of his behavior. He wants to be Seen. Heard. Touched.
Here in our home school, his rhythm is the antithesis of my “get r done” process. I go after a task as if it were my sole purpose in life. He flits in and out of his tasks as if it is killing him to have to do it.
Yesterday’s art class was to make a collage from a self portrait. He refused. He said, “I’m not good at art.” He has learned this from his school where he draws and draws and draws and draws and is overlooked when it comes to awards and prizes for being talented.
He told me he got an F for his last collage and that his school mate X always gets the teacher’s attention. So it took a lot of cajoling to get him to come into the Hall with me yesterday, get the magazines, the paper, the scissors, the glue, and begin the collage project.
He refused to do his self portrait so the collage was a photo of Lord Chill. He worked at it diligently, cutting each small piece of paper and showing me each time he glued a few on. Look at me. See me. Look at what I’ve created.
After a few squares were pasted on, he’d need to go stand on the front porch and look around, move around, take a break. His process is so different from mine. I’m thankful for this quarantine which is making room for him to learn at a his own pace, in his own way.
His grade at the end of the day: I am somebody. I am valued. I am capable.