Going back to Preschool!

So, after much frustration and stress over how Asher is dealing with the adjustment of starting pre-K, Tim and I decided that maybe I should go to school with him today! (side note: Tim is on vacation, so I CAN go without worrying about what to do with the twins)

I talked with his teacher yesterday to make sure it would be okay...and today I went back to preschool! It was so much fun! I have many new friends!! One little boy, B, looks like a young Forrest Gump... AND even talks like him! Made me chuckle inside ... picture it in your head... picture Forrest talking as I say what B said to me... "I have camo shoes. I like camo because my Paw-Paw likes camo. They're cool shoes!" Hehe!!

Ok...sorry, back to Asher! The morning started like always (according to Mr. C and his assistant, Miss L)... first thing in the morning, they play on the playground until school starts: Asher played!! He even pointed out a kid in a blue shirt and said, "He's my friend; I don't know his name, but he's my friend."

Next we went inside for "journal time." Each kid finds his/her book of blank paper. They pick a page and color anything they want. When done, they tell the teacher or asst. and they write whatever the kid says they drew for the day! Asher always cooperates with this part too!

Asher doing a floor puzzle with his no-name friend

Asher with the completed puzzle

After journal time, they all go to the shape carpet... it's essentially an area rug with a bunch of shapes on it... each kid sits on a shape! They did their pledge of allegiance and the pledge to the OK flag; then the teacher read a story! He cooperated there....

And then....

After this everyone divides up around the room. The kids are free to play in the different areas of the room: they have a block area, a book area, & a role-play area (with dress up clothes, kitchen tools, fake food, etc). Mr C sits at one table working on an activity with 3-4 kids at a time while Miss L sits at another table doing a different activity. Both of their tables are learning tasks... or evaluation tasks to see what the kids know or need to know. ALL of the kids got up off the rug and went about their business except Asher. He seemed frozen to the carpet. Other kids were shy- walking around without really talking, but they at least were cooperative! So, rather than sitting on the sidelines watching, I got involved at this point. I told him that I was not asking nicely... I was telling him that NOW is the time to get up and do what Mr C asked him to do. He refused...sat there with a blank stare. So I told him that I was going to sit with Miss L and he needed to follow me. He did not... he stayed sitting there in the middle of the rug. SO... I picked him up and carried him to the chair next to mine and across from Miss L! Her activity was a counting one... he counted to me in a faint whisper. He had to count the items on the sheet, then find the corresponding number card on the table and match the number with the picture (ex: 6 hearts... so he had to find the #6 and place it next to the hearts) ... he did every single one PERFECTLY! Miss L said, "He's so smart, look at him work!!" She was so proud! Then we went together to Mr C's table for a coloring activity. He did it without argument. 

Side note again... normally after rug time, he doesn't do anything else for the rest of class!! Today ... once I got him over the hump of just sitting there...once he actually started the activities, he was fine!

After Mr. C's area, he got up and went to play with the kids (again, something he normally doesn't do)!! Then during clean up time, he came out of the block room and yelled... MY SON YELLED!!! He said, "The block room isn't clean yet!" Mr C and Miss L stopped and just looked at each other as if to say, "He speaks!!!" You should've seen the look on their faces!! So Mr C told him to go back and finish cleaning the block room... and he did it! 

Next was carpet time again for songs and picking out the day's line leader & door holder. After all that was complete, it was time for recess (normally Asher goes outside and just stands there for recess) ... Asher went out and immediately started running around and playing!! After recess was snack time. They had Cool Ranch Doritos and Capri Sun... I think that's a pretty awesome snack!  The little boy next to Asher didn't like the chips so he gave them to Mr C and went to play. SO... Mr C sat down in his seat next to Asher and actually carried on a conversation with him about how these were some of his favorite chips!!  I was proud! After snacks time is music time, then go home!!

All in all, preschool was good for me... ahem, I mean Asher! Once I got him over the hump of being freaked out for whatever reason after journal time... once I MADE him get involved in the activities, he had a GREAT TIME! I just wish I knew what it would take for him to do that on his own with me NOT there! I hope that maybe today did the trick for him and we've had enough of a break-through that he'll be "good to go" from now on... only time will tell!!

Things I learned in pre-K today:

1. Not enough parents are involved in their kids' education. Mr C said that in the 9 years of him teaching pre-K, only a handful of parents have come to the classroom when their kids were having issues. This makes me sad... 'nuff said.

2. Little girls in dresses NEED bloomers or shorts under their dresses! Little girls do somersaults... they hang upside down on the bars. One little girl's dress was RIGHT under her booty.... with only undies! I just think it's inappropriate! Their little innocent selves have no clue, but as they get older, it will be more of an issue... so please put something on your little girls to cover their panties! 

3. Mr C really is a good teacher! He was the 2012 Teacher of the Year... 3 years ago, Xander had him as a teacher and loved him. I never went to class with X, so I had no clue. But after today's class, I can TOTALLY see whey he is Teacher of the Year! He's pretty awesome with the kids! I took video of him, but IDK if I can legally put it on here without his knowledge.