In last week’s post I discussed the challenges I faced with one particular student and some goals I have to address these challenges. This week things got better and my connection has grown a lot stronger, he is beginning to make eye contact with me and responds to the questions I ask most of the time. On Friday of this week his math group was meeting me at the rainbow table and there were some issues with this student and another classmate. At first it didn’t seem like more than an argument between the two boys but it was much more. My back was turned and one of the boys kept getting up to sharpen his pencil and each time he sharpened it he poked/nudged the one student. Eventually he could no longer take it and shot up from his seat and almost hit the boy who was poking/nudging. My SA saw the tail end of what happened and took both of the boys outside and figured out what happened and a solution to the problem. Afterward my SA followed up with me and had told me that when she was talking with G that she asked him how he should have handled the situation and his response was “Ms.Anselmo has been telling me to try and use my words”. Although G did not use his words in the above situation the fact that he remembered what I had told him and was able to apply it to a real life situation means the world to me. This shows me that I am establishing a connection with me and I believe progress will continue to me made. I spoke to my SA as well as one of the LST teachers on Friday about possible using PECS (picture exchange communication system) with G as a way to offer reminders to him without constantly calling his name or prompting him on what to do next. I am going to try to implement this adaption/communication this coming week. I am excited for this next week and all that I will teach and all that the students will learn.