Student of the Week

My son attends a school for kids who have had behavior issues at their previous school.  As such, the staff there is always working on reducing poor behaviors and encouraging the kids to make good choices.  Toward this, they use positive reinforcement quite a bit.  One thing they do every week, on Friday afternoons, is to hold a “community meeting” that is attended by the whole school.  The gathering celebrates all of the kids, but particularly recognizes the ones who did especially well that week.

One of the things I really like about my son is that he seems genuinely happy for the kids who are recognized at the meetings.  Although Kai has a hard time answering our questions, he can usually tell us which students in his class were honored.  He almost always tells us what a “good job” they did that week.  

The community meetings themselves are not exactly easy on Kai.  Being outside his own classroom, with a larger group of people, in an environment that can seem chaotic, it is not easy for him to stay regulated.  I’ve previously described how he often displays anxiety about not being first to PE, lunch or other activities that take him outside the classroom.  With the community meeting, this can be magnified even more.  So, it is something of a minor triumph when he can sit nicely and remain calm during the entire meeting.

At today’s community meeting, Kai was able to stay regulated throughout.  But, it was noteworthy for another reason, too – Kai was awarded Student of the Week for his class. 

The certificate noted that Kai has been safe all week, completed his schoolwork, and was able to accept his spot in line every day of the week.  All of his teachers and aides signed the certificate, adding, “Kai, we are proud of the progress you are making!” 

So are Mom and Dad.

Good job, Kai!