88. Confessions from a Third Grader

Conditions of Testing and Behavioral Observations:

"Savannah seemed to easily adjust to the one-to-one testing session. She was able to direct her attention well to testing tasks, and results appear to be valid.

In talking informally with Savannah about coming to Mountain Brook Elementary, Savannah explained, "We got divorced. My daddy lives in Oklahoma and my grandmother in Montgomery." When asked who she lived with, Savannah said her mommy, and her brother, Sean. She then asked, "Have you heard about Sean? He's autistic. He sometimes screams. He loves to watch 'Eyewitness' movies on rocks, minerals, and animals." 

When asked about her interests, she said her favorite sport was swimming which she did in Texas when it was warm. When asked about other interests, she said that she also likes to watch 'Eyewitness' for nature and science. She then volunteered that her favorite drink is water because it is healthier than milk because most of your body is water.

When asked about school, Savannah said that her least favorite subject was math, commenting, "I really hate it, but I'm good at it." 

Savannah said that she likes art and music. When asked about reading she said, "The least favorite part is writing definitions. I don't like to write, but I love to draw. We have to do DOL (Daily Oral Language) in cursive. It gets boring writing in cursive. Writing is the same as math. I don't like it, but I'm good at it."

Savannah felt that she had several friends in class. She said she likes snack time and recess. She doesn't like P.E. because of running laps, commenting, "I walk laps. I don't like to run laps." 

When asked about listening, Savannah said, "Sometimes I have a hard time staying focused. Sometimes I forget some of my homework. I think I got all my worries off. I get afraid and I tell mom to let it all out."

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It must have been this time in Savannah's life when she went through her "confession" phase. She began telling me e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g she had locked away in her guilt-ridden conscious. She would call me to her side and agonize over whether to tell me something. I had to pull it out of her all the while thinking the worst. What on earth had she done?

After l-o-n-g hesitations and me reassuring her, "it's okay, Honey, you can do it" she would confess her "crimes" which were no worse than this: 

"I was in P.E. once back in first grade and I told the coach that I couldn't walk or run because my foot hurt. And it didn't. I lied."

I wanted to strangle the poor child. I thought, "That's it? For real?" I expected a shoplifting tale, or a story about how she took a girl's Fritos at snack time on the playground and ate them in front of her - no wait, that was me - or that she busted a window with a ball! 

With each confession I reassured Savannah that she had been forgiven for all of those things. I reminded her that she was a good girl and more importantly, my girl and that I was super blessed to have her. Lying to her teacher or to anyone was very wrong and I was glad she thought so too. 

Besides Savannah needing to clear her conscious, I look at her confession phase as a way of quietly demanding my attention. It did take me awhile to pull them out of her. I was glad I was patient. I was happy that I didn't blow it.

Footnote: I was reading this entry to Savannah last night - July 13, 2013. Her version goes like this:

"I waited to do yet another project at the very last minute and we were scrambling to get it done. I had lied to you about having to get it done and you said, with a ruler in your hand, 'If you lie to me ever again, I will spank you with this ruler!'" So, she apparently decided to come clean about everything to cover her bases! Hahaha!

My response was this: "At least you learned your lesson and I didn't have to use it! Too, several years earlier it could've been mean ol Mister Spoon in my hand!" I like my version better!