our school journey … an update
I hesitated to write this post because it feels so personal, but SO many of you have asked how Corbin has been doing that I thought it worth typing up.
Long story short, he’s doing SO GOOD.
When school started back up this fall, we kept getting text messages and phone calls about behavior from Corbin that was concerning. At the same time, it was a literal FIGHT every day to get Corbin to go to school. He just didn’t want to - claiming teachers were mean and kids didn’t like him. He would physically RUN from the school building and do out of character things like throw a chair.
After implementing behavior charts and giving him extra time in a separate classroom before having to enter his homeroom, things still weren’t getting any better. We were asked to seek out Occupation Therapy for him - to see if anyone can help pinpoint the issues that might be going on. We were happy to and got a pediatrician referral for him to start. He LOVES therapy.
Eventually, we decided to pull him out of his current school for awhile while we figured things out. The current situation was obviously not working and frustrating everyone involved - Corbin especially. We needed some time to let him know that WE were on his team and that we would do anything we needed to to advocate for him feeling safe and wanted in a learning environment.
Corbin desperately wanted to be in school - just not the one he had been going to. So we started to seek out some alternate schooling option. We are lucky to live in a large urban setting with LOTS of school options.
Ultimately, we met with the Principal of a small private school. She agreed to give Corbin a one day trial to meet the teachers and the students and see if it might be a good fit.
I was SO HOPEFUL and Corbin was SO EXCITED.
Many of you saw this play out from my perspective on Instagram, but that one day trial did not end well. I was about to start recording a Podcast to interview a parenting coach when I got a call from Corbin’s teacher that he was refusing to go on the Nature Walk or join the class. I LOST IT.
Looking back, it was probably not a big deal, but that phone call brought up SO MUCH trauma from the previous 2-3 months of hearing so many negative things from his previous teachers. All hope I had that this school might be the right fit for him was lost.
Thankfully, as I mentioned, I was on a call with a parenting coach and she was able to walk me through some calming exercises and we canceled the interview.
I hopped on the phone with the principal later that day and cried as she told me that they weren’t sure they had the right resources for Corbin, but she asked for the weekend to think and pray about it. She prayed with me on the phone and if nothing else, I finally felt like someone in a school building was on my team and cared about Corbin.
The next week she called and said they wanted to do another longer trial to give Corbin some time to acclimate to the school and maybe start a few modifications for him. I was hesitantly hopeful this time.
He started the first day of his two week trial and while he was AT school, Neil tested positive for COVID. Dang. I was so mad at him at first.
So we had to stop the school trial as soon as it had started. Corbin was SO bummed.
Two weeks later, we were back in school and Corbin has been thriving. The administration and his teacher are so compassionate and the communication between us has been more than I could have asked for.
I’m sure this school year won’t be perfect, but it’s been such a better fit for Corbin.
Thanks for asking and praying and loving our family well. I’m a lucky Instagrammer ;)
(Also - worth mentioning - Jonah and Clara are still a part of the original school and doing so well. The middle school arm of the school is a DELIGHT.)