Will This Be Representative of What He Can Do in the Future?
Dylan’s final – forever – IEP meeting is next week. One more semester until graduation. It’s very hard for me to believe.
The new semester started yesterday – a half-day, followed by a full-day school closing, thanks to snow. Dylan has had each of his seven classes for exactly 20 minutes.
And he wants to drop three of them.
Dylan came home with an idea – one that he’d already discussed with his school counselor. He believes that if he drops his electives, he can focus wholly on his academic subjects: math, English, AP psychology and radio production. He already has three of his four academic classes before lunch, so he wants to leave school at lunchtime.
“I wouldn’t have to focus for seven whole hours,” Dylan said. “I would only have to focus in the morning, and then I could get all my work done in the afternoon.”
He thinks having a half-day would be mentally and emotionally cleansing. He envisions working ultra-hard all morning, then relaxing and listening to – or making – music all afternoon.
But Dylan got a lead role in the school musical. Since he has play practice almost every day for the next two months, he would have to go back to school – or stay at school – to be ready for rehearsal. And he doesn’t own a car. Someone would have to drive him both ways.
I will not be driving him both ways every day for two months. I have a job.
So Dylan said, “My counselor already said that I can stay in the counseling office and finish my work whenever I can’t go home.” And there are places within walking distance (on days when it’s not so cold) that would allow him to sit and study.
If he were actually turning in his work on time, I’d be fine with him doing whatever he wanted in that time period. But I am still waiting for the evidence that the work will get done. ON TIME.
A shorter class schedule, of course, is more like a college schedule. Will this be representative of what he can do in the future? Or will it just be a way for him to do less in high school?
“I think it would really help me to concentrate on what I need to do, and get it done on time,” Dylan said.
Dylan is often inspired at the beginning of a quarter. And he is very inspired by this option.
Since he started taking high school classes in middle school, Dylan doesn’t need any extra credits for graduation. His GPA is up, and he’s already been accepted by several colleges. So he doesn’t need a full, seven-class plate.
What he needs are study skills and organizational skills. He needs to know how to force himself to get through his work, even when it’s boring, even when it’s not what he wants to do. He needs to develop the skills to carry him through college. He needs to know how to be responsible for himself and his work.
So we have some T’s to cross and some I’s to dot, but we are going to discuss this option with his IEP team. We’re going to figure out if this will be in his best interest – or detrimental to everyone’s sanity.