Wednesday, February 10, 2021

 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

 

            I went over the PP with Dorothy. She didn't have too many comments. However, I'm sounding bumpy through the whole first half. Need to write out more of the script and rehearse.

            I had D today at 11:30. We tried to get onto Google Meet without success again. He didn't know his Hawaiian DOE email address, which he needed for me to add him to the Meet.

            He said, why don't we try Zoom. I thought, why not? We got on with his computer. After all, I've gone through, how did this happen? He was using his Fire Tablet, not his Chrome computer from the school. I asked him how long he's had it. Since he's been five, and he's nine now. It never occurred to anyone in that family to try it. Well, finally, our problem is solved. We can do Zoom on the tablet and not worry about his school computer access. Done!

            I suggested we work on reading. Before we did, I discussed D's memory problem. It is fierce. He cannot remember a math fact we worked on forever from one minute to the next. He told me a story, illustrating his difficulty with his memory.  

            He had an argument with one of his sisters. His mom called her into her room and asked him how he was doing. He couldn't remember what either of them said, what the argument was about, or even which room it occurred in. It was all a blank except for the memory that something did happen. And, as I think of it, he remembered his conversation with his mom. Hmm! What does that suggest?

            He is still going to have a tough time in school. His mom and I wanted him classified to get some protection from the academic demands. I told him that he could build a life for himself when he's an adult. He is a wonderful person, kind, gentle, considerate.   He should make a great employee and a good husband and father. Those are the things that count in life. I told him to hold on to those goals as he goes through school. I wondered today if he is so sweet and untroubled because he can't remember challenging moments. 

            We did some work on reading. While his word recognition skills are somewhat better, he still skips words. I went back to the old standby to name the letters in the words before saying them. I could feel him wrestle with his brain, forcing it to do the work. He was working with a concentration and determination I hadn't seen before. Let's see if it makes a difference.

            I napped after the session with D. I had M at 2 pm. We're working on 3rd-grade inferencing exercises from Barnell & Loft. She makes the strangest errors. She considers too much background information or too little. Nonetheless, we made it through nine passages today. I had to type some up as we were working. I have to make sure I have enough to work on in a session.

            I didn't make an effort to reach out to J today. I enjoyed working with him but felt I needed a break. I spent the afternoon reviewing Chapter 3 of the book. I started on my reading method because Laura from Step-Up Tutoring asked to see it. I treated her to way more than she asked for. She got the Table of Contents, the Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 3, and my 50 pages appendix. Hope she speaks to me again.

            I spoke to Judy while on my evening walk with Elsa. She is doing very well. Sandor's wife, Meali'inani, was in Honolulu at the Queen's hospital because her mother was there. She visited Judy. I have no idea why she was allowed to, but Judy appreciated the visit. They took a picture together. Judy looked great. Amazing, after the surgery she has been through. Judy said the food at the hospital is fantastic. She told me her dinner menu last night- gourmet. 

            I have been spending my evenings in the living room rather than going to the library to watch tv. The chair is more comfortable. Mike preferred furniture which accommodated his need to slouch. I like furniture that helps me sit up straight. I tried to fix the library furniture with pillows, but I was never successful. The pillows slipped against the leather.

            I'd like to say that I spend the evening being productive now, but I spend a lot of time playing FreeCell rather than writing. Tomorrow, I have to write a new script for the first section of the PP presentation.