Adventures in Homeschooling

So far homeschooling is going fairly well.  I absolutely love our Classical Conversations community.  They have welcomed us very generously.  Aaron has been to class twice with the other kids.  All the other kids sit in their chairs and listen and participate.  They are adorable.  They go in front of the class and do presentations all by themselves, they sing songs, do art, and jump through hoops for skip counting.  Then there is Aaron.  Aaron sits on my lap with his dog and his blanket covering him.  He will not participate and screams at Ms. Lopez if she talks to him.  Sigh.... 

But, I am super proud of him! He has gone with me to the front of the class for presentations.  The first time he was angry with me the whole time because I did not know how to set his trains up properly, but refused to help me figure it out.  The second time, he was quiet the whole time and faced the class as I showed them his favorite recipes.  When Ms. Lopez asked him a question, he very politely said "I don't know" instead of screaming at her. 

He also loves the art/drawing time.  This is a bit of a surprise to me.  I had no idea.  Although, he will not participate with the activities the class does, he is very good at sitting and watching.  When we go home, he knows most of the information the tutor has taught and he is excited about it. 

I bribed him to sit in his own seat during the last class.  I told him I would get him the Play Doh Meal Making Kitchen (he is just dying to have this) if he sat in his own chair the whole time.  He actually sat in a seat by himself for about 30 minutes.  I did not get the toy yet, but I am hoping he will earn it next week.

Our school sessions at home are going really well also.  We do reading, math, writing, and reviewing of our CC memory work (the info presented in class each week).  His favorite part is still snack time.

I just found out today that the school system is finally sending out a teacher.  She specialized in special needs pre-K and is a behavior specialist.  She is certain she can correct Aaron's behavior issues by the end of this year.  If this is the case, she is really sent from God.  I have been praying for help in this area.  Aaron is a great kid, even a sweet kid.  However, he definitely needs to learn how to interact with people and children.  He has been isolated almost all of his life and does not know how to deal with social situations.  He screams at anyone who says hi to him or asks him a question.  I don't know what to do about it. 

Everyone has been confused: am I homeschooling or going through the school system?  The answer is for now: both.  Although I absolutely love homeschooling and think it is a superior education than public school (just my opinion), I do not want to cut ties with the school system.  The school system, by law has to provide help for Aaron if he has any deficits (which he does).  Since Pre-K is optional in the state of Florida, the school teacher only comes out for 45 minutes a week.  This will be perfect to work on his behavior issues, but no where near enough time to help keep him on track with school.  Homeschooling and CC are his true "education."  Next year when Aaron is ready for Kindergarten, I will have to decide whether he goes to public school or to register him as a homeschooler.  I hope to continue homeschooling, but I will put him in public school if it better suits his medical/behavior needs.