This guy creates the most amazing sculptures out of egg shells. Uses...a dentist's drill, I guess? Something very like it, anyway. Must take hours. I'm sure I'd break loads if I tried - and just at the point they were getting good, too :)
Secondly - something Sherlock showed me while we were waiting at his school. He wants some for his pond...if it were salty.
It's...a bobbit worm. Looks quite nice, right? Sparkly - but wait! Danger, don't let your love of all things Sparkles lure you in!
It buries itself on the ocean floor. It can grow ten feet long! And it can slice its prey in half with a single bite.
It can also cause permanent numbness in humans if you touch it.
Oh, and apparently the female slices of the penis of the male and feeds it to her young...but I'm not sure how true that part is!
And now, onto more serious things.
1. Work is up in arms because Trident have been told they will no longer investigate murders. So we get them, at HSCC. I think that's a mistake. But no one asked me...
2. Sherlock's parents' evening went well. As we all know, he's bright and can apply himself to a quite terrifying degree when he's interested in something. He is very able, very intelligent...
However, he's also got things he needs to work on. Mainly the more social side of things.
He is no longer to hoard supplies during their creative sessions (glitter, the best pencils, the best colours, etc.)
He needs to concentrate on improving his behaviour during group work. Or even participating in it at all, would sometimes be an improvement. And we don't just mean sitting in the same vague area of the room as his classmates...
He needs to listen to his peers, and join in discussions with them. Hopefully without calling them boring...
And when he is enjoying himself, he needs to calm down a bit! He can be a bit overwhelming, especially to the quieter kids.
So nothing bad, but he needs to work on those things. He is VERY grumpy about this news. I am fairly sure he thought Mrs N was going to erect a statue of him in the school hall and have other kids gather and worship it every morning, the way he was carrying on this morning.
We are still, and always will be, very proud of him, and love him. And he didn't get gruel for dinner.
61 comments:
Congratulations on the good schoolwork, report, Sherlock!
(I always thought the people side of things was hardest. Especially when something is really fun or interesting--or things are going slower than you could do on your own. But I'm sure you can work it out, or work out when you should ask someone, which is also good.)
Good luck with helping Sherlock guys and good luck with doing all those things Sherlock I know its not easy to deal with other people when they don't know as much as you or don't want to do the same things but sadly less than perfect social skills are something you get told off for :-(
It's stupid. School is supposed to be about learning things not getting along with people.
Sometimes, Sherlock, it's about learning to get along with people.
And Mrs N said you were doing brilliantly at the other learning.
Sadly Sherlock its ok not too be clever but it’s not ok to not behave well. It is believed that you are in control of your behaviour but not your intelligence.
I’m not sure I agree but that’s how school work I’m afraid.
To be fair to Mrs N, she's used to teaching pupils who are...I don't know how to say it in a politically correct way... at one end of the educational spectrum, I guess. A lot of the kids at that school are incredibly intelligent, but struggle more with the social aspect of life.
But regardless, Sherlock shouting 'boring!' in class when she's speaking isn't on. Nor is him telling other kids they're boring, just because he doesn't share their interest.
I'm sure we can find ways he can politely tell them he doesn't find whatever they're doing very interesting...well, I hope we can.
Sherlock, I bet It feels like an awful lot of criticism, and that always feels unfair. But really, it's only one criticism, which is not bad at all! It's just that instead of making you work out what to do yourself, Mrs N gave you specific things to work on, which I think was a helpful thing to do, because getting along with people can be very confusing.
Sherlock: school is only secondarily 'about learning things'. Its primary function is social and cultural indoctrination. It may be less frustrating to think of it in that light.
Thanks, Mycroft.
I think your Mum tried a similar tack.
Sherlock is grumpily eating a choux bun.
Then he's taking it better than I had expected.
I'm sorry if what I said came across as sounding like I thought it was ok for Sherlock to do things his teacher didn't want him to. That's really not what I intended to say.
I hope he's asleep now and that he feels brighter about it all tomorrow :-)
Is choux bun consumption a good sign?
We've assured him we don't expect all the changes overnight.
He's going to work on not taking all the best supplies first... I swear some of those children have never used the glitter since Sherlock arrived.
It's better than throwing himself on the floor and screaming, which used to be his standard method for coping with adversity.
I had to look up choux buns...but I would say they look like a cheering sort of thing to eat. :)
Working on not taking all the best supplies first is a good one to start with, being very specific.
AnonyBob - no, don't worry, I was just making the point that there are some parts of what was said that aren't up for negotiation. Other parts...well, as his understanding of social niceties grows he can choose which ones to adopt at which opportunities, I suppose. It's hard, growing up, eh?
Mycroft - when you put it like that, yeah.
RR - He managed to look utterly morose during the demise of the choux bun.
He is now in bed. Scowling.
Carrying something over from John's Blog. It is really good to see that I am not the only one who likes to work with the kids but hates the parents. I may work at a school while I study but I won't ever become a teacher because of that. And it is especially bad at the moment when we have to suspend kids from school or have cases that involve social services and parents ripping each other apart in court. Because obviously all of that is our fault and in no way are the parents to blame.
Awww. I'm sure it's extra hard for him since it's not what he was expecting to hear at all.
I should really have said "hates some of the parents" most of them are actually rather great. (Sorry, long day)
RR - we did try to prepare him for Parents' Evening being about what can improve as well as what he's done well at. He just didn't think he could improve on anything, because he's always getting top marks.
Oh, I didn't doubt that for a minute, that you two tried to prepare him! Just that it was clearly not something he had taken in as relevant to himself, so a bit of a shock.
And since you've already so very clearly made it NOT a matter of his worth, but instead something to work on together, I have to think he'll come to realize it's a challenge--and an accomplishment to be proud of when he succeeds.
I always found the social interaction aspect of school the hardest. I was the child who would sit in a little nook or in the out of the way location and read during recess.
One year, the teacher ended up putting tape down the middle of the desk I shared with another student, because we couldn't seem to get along at all. Neither of us is certain how it happened, but we actually became the best of friends and have been since that year.
It's hard to get along with other kids when not everyone is at your level. But I learned that people can be interesting without knowing everything I do. I hope Sherlock can find that out, too, and learn to observe as well as see when it comes to others.
I was the child who would sit in a little nook or in the out of the way location and read during recess.
Ha, pip, this was so me! I had a hidden little corner and everything. :)
Those eggshells are amazing. I wonder how long it took to learn how to do that?
I can remember, when I was Sherlock's age, getting a grade on my report card for "works and plays well with others." Later on they changed it to a comment box, but it was always discouraging to get a grade on whether or not I hadn't bopped Carl Groshong on the nose that term for pulling on my hair.
rsf
Well, he was still a little grump-bag this morning, but hopefully he'll realise everybody there got told things to improve on, and some of those things might be things he's wanted to change. I told him that and he cheered up a little ( and asked if Meant Mrs N had told them not to be boring...)
Seems reasonable to me that he'd be a bit grumpy it's uncomfortable enough for a grown up to suddenly realise that people don't see them the way they see themselves. I think it's bound to feel a little like not only are some of the kids against him, now so is the teacher. I know that's not how it is but still
When I spoke to John earlier it sounded like he went off okay. He does agree he needs to learn these things to examine other people's motives, if not to adhere to them himself.
Heh. It's as good a reason as any I've heard!
Just a quick shout-out to everyone to enjoy steak and bj day! Have fun!
It's also Pi day--so have some! :)
Danger, got tomorrow off :)
That's very good news. :) Anything in particular you want to do?
Please Nanny John can I go out on my bike? Pleeeeaaaaase? I've been really good!
Ha. I don't know... Do I get to come along?
Aww, go on, John - Lestrade's been working ever so hard, the least you could do is let him have a nice ride on his day off :-)
As long as you want to do fun things like drink coffee ;)
Absolutely.
how's the Boy Wonder? He doing okay?
He was moaning about his cast again this morning. Reckon he might get it off soon? - the doc said he might need to wear a soft brace after it comes off for a week or so anyway, and do a little physio for his muscles.
He's all right, mostly. Still a bit sulky. I think the tricky thing will be keeping him from doing everything at once once the cast comes off - which should be soon, yeah.
I'm glad Sherlock is doing a bit better this evening John and good news about a day off Greg :-)
I hope you have a fun evening ahead of you.
Yeah, The doc said he could probably wear it at school/in the day and take it off at night. But I imagine he'll take it off a lot...
he was definitely not happy about not getting a ride back from school last night.
He wasn't happy about much last night...
Where do you want to go tomorrow?
Err...Whitstable?
Sure, why not.
Exactly my thoughts.
You been before?
Nope. Have you?
I've got that song stuck in my head now.
Nope. That's why I thought we should go.
Which song? Peter Cushing buying vegetables? That's the one in my head...
That's the one. He goes shopping on his bicycle...
Danger Watson goes to Whitstable, He is going on his (motor)bicycle, This song had nothing to do with buying vegetables, Danger Watson goes to Whitstable...
This isn't going to go well tomorrow, is it? We'll both be singing it all day long.
Yeah, we're doomed. Best we can hope for is not to sing it in public...
We could buy vegetables while we're there. In fact, I think we almost have to, now.
pretty much, yeah.
...That didn't improve Sherlock's mood much, did it? So terribly unfair, having to go to school.
Mmhmm. Definitely saw that one coming, from the moment you said you had the day off tomorrow.
I do feel badly for him. I know it's a bit ridiculous and he can't keep all the glitter in the school (or the world...) for himself, but still. When he's this unhappy, I can't help it.
Not that it will stop me going to Whistable and buying vegetables tomorrow, obviously.
Yeah, me too.
And I know. He is just a bundle of misery when he's like this.
We'll make him something nice with our vegetables. Do something fun this weekend. And all the glitter here is all his - surely he can manage to share the school's glitter.
First attempt at restraint with craft supplies didn't go so well?
(I wouldn't be a child again for anything. It's HARD!)
I hate it when kids are upset about things at school, I know they have to stick to school rules and learn to exist in a group and that some of the social skills they learn are very important but its sad when kids are upset and they have no way out, they can't get signed off sick or change schools if they are unhappy they just have to accept they have years ahead of them of trying to get it right.
I hope Sherlock begins to feel happier about it all again soon John because I know its tough trying to help unhappy kids.
Have a good day on your trip tomorrow :-)
Well, this is nothing like the meltdown when he found out Mrs T wouldn't be teaching him forever, and he got over that.
I'm sure he'll be fine. And as unhappy as it makes him, learning to take criticism is important too.
The great advantage of the timing of his parents evening is that he gets a short period to try and change his behaviour before a nice holiday and a new start after his Easter holidays :-)
I hope you and john have a fun and relaxing day, you really deserve it :-D
Yeah, AnonyBob, I think the school have it planned out well.
And I'm sure we'll have a great day. Got to stop Danger eating too many oysters though. You know what he's like. He won't be able to keep his hands to himself ;)
As a thought - and without wishing to pass comment on anything that's been said above - learning a social skill can be just learning to disguise what you think for your own advancement. Learning to treat others with respect whatever their gender, sexual preference, abilities or race is a much greater achievement.
*disappears back into hobbit hole*
SH - I hope we're doing that too! Although we're still working on asking questions politely, not just interrogating strangers...
We're also now working on the fact that criticism can be valid, and it doesn't just mean everyone hates you... But it equally doesn't mean they're right and you're wrong. So...yeah, hard stuff to learn!
Rather than criticism, I like to think of it as areas of opportunity. It can be hard to hear someone say something negative about you, but when you look at it as just an opportunity to become even more awesome, it makes it a bit easier. :)
L - I'm sure you do. And in that respect he will learn as much from the way you behave than in the words you use.
Post a Comment