I have two (I know, I know) teens other than my daughter and my tweener in that class.
One is a girl who has some sensory issues and performance anxiety. She is STRONG. I was told that she was so anxious that she wouldn't even go into the classroom on her first day. You can't keep her out of the classroom now.
She, like all the other students I took over, had only two recognition stripes for material but knew more. She has earned and received the remaining four last night, so she is now ready to test for orange. I evaluated her in front of my oldest son, my younger son and the other teen boy. Now, forseeing she would be ready to test soon, I pre-tested her privately the last time I saw her. She was shaking, so I honestly thought her memory or control would fail her last night - it didn't. It was a good work-up to her test which will be August 1.
My other teen boy appears to have either aphasia, FAS or a fever- or trauma-induced learning delay. His is hypotonic, hypoflexive and speaks and moves slowly and with general weakness. He earned three more stripes towards his six for testing as well and should test for yellow by August 1.
I found out last night that both of these kids have been jumped and have been held against their will at weapon-point ... girl with a knife, boy with a gun ... and both more than one time each.
They both said they feel that they are progressing more, learning more, faster in this class than they ever have. They both feel they are retaining what they are learning with more ease and understand how to self-correct better.
While it is quite the compliment, I feel compelled to share my approaches (as I can) because I feel it is quite important that kids coming to martial arts with purpose deserve a quality experience - something they can USE, even if that element is something less physical and more moral or esthetic.
It will be a challenge to teach these kids in their higher ranks and I'm going to have to up my game again.
I'm looking forward to it.
One is a girl who has some sensory issues and performance anxiety. She is STRONG. I was told that she was so anxious that she wouldn't even go into the classroom on her first day. You can't keep her out of the classroom now.
She, like all the other students I took over, had only two recognition stripes for material but knew more. She has earned and received the remaining four last night, so she is now ready to test for orange. I evaluated her in front of my oldest son, my younger son and the other teen boy. Now, forseeing she would be ready to test soon, I pre-tested her privately the last time I saw her. She was shaking, so I honestly thought her memory or control would fail her last night - it didn't. It was a good work-up to her test which will be August 1.
My other teen boy appears to have either aphasia, FAS or a fever- or trauma-induced learning delay. His is hypotonic, hypoflexive and speaks and moves slowly and with general weakness. He earned three more stripes towards his six for testing as well and should test for yellow by August 1.
I found out last night that both of these kids have been jumped and have been held against their will at weapon-point ... girl with a knife, boy with a gun ... and both more than one time each.
They both said they feel that they are progressing more, learning more, faster in this class than they ever have. They both feel they are retaining what they are learning with more ease and understand how to self-correct better.
While it is quite the compliment, I feel compelled to share my approaches (as I can) because I feel it is quite important that kids coming to martial arts with purpose deserve a quality experience - something they can USE, even if that element is something less physical and more moral or esthetic.
It will be a challenge to teach these kids in their higher ranks and I'm going to have to up my game again.
I'm looking forward to it.
