Teaching Tommy...A Journey

The names in this post, and every post hereafter, have been changed to protect the innocent...

The school year has begun and my classroom is filled with 15 excited first graders.  All are eager to learn and to please.  Tommy is one of those students.  


Tommy loves his friends.  Tommy loves to laugh.  Tommy is having a hard time at school.

You see, Tommy is a second language learner.  He repeated Kindergarten because of language.  He also has a speech impediment.  The cards are stacking against Tommy.  Throw in an issue with the sounds of letters, simple addition and a label of ADHD, Tommy is truly struggling in first grade.  


That's where I come in.  I am his teacher.


At first meeting, Tommy seemed like a lot of other students I've had in the past.  A challenge, but nothing I can't deal with.  Now it's only been 3 weeks and I'm reaching for ANYTHING that will help him to succeed.  


I give Tommy his homework ahead of time in order to get a "jump start" on his learning.  I also give him all of the math lessons before I teach them so that he can achieve some success during class time. 


I'm laying a lot of trust in Tommy's parents to work with him.  He has a tutor, but he really needs more.  I'm worried. 


I will follow my journey with Tommy weekly and hope that I can dig deep in my educational bag in order to Teach Tommy.

Alexis