Violin Lesson

Yesterday, Lindsey came and had a violin lesson with Julia. This was not like the last lesson in which I just brought Julia home from school, let her play with her toys and greeted Lindsey. Instead, I planned the time. I made a schedual with Julia. We had a little more than an hour to get ready for Lindsey. The schedule had playing, cleaning up, drawing, and putting away her school stuff. And then there was a drawing of a violin for her lesson. I told her that if she did the first four things she would get one sticker and if she was cooperative during her lesson -- if she listened to Lindsey and did what Lindsey asked her to do -- she would get two stickers. (We didn't get her behavior chart from school, so there was no possibility of getting a sticker from that, and I did not plan to do home work with Julia when we have an after school lesson.)

Julia first balked at the schedule -- what else would she do, she was allowed to play but didn't want to stop -- but I insisted that she put away her coat and back pack first and this gave her something to cross off on the schedule and one step closer to a sticker. She loves crossing out what she has done.

Then she decided to play and after 10 minutes, I gave her a 5 minutes warning, and then a 3, and then a 1. When I told her to stop, I asked her to draw. This was a no brainer transition (more fortunate than planned). I wanted her to draw on the cards that I was taping to her toy bins. The cards were to have words and pictures of what was in the bins. I have to say that she liked the assignment but was not as creative as usual with her drawing -- is this because I assigned it? She drew and together we taped the cards on the boxes. We had another thing to cross off. She cleaned her toys up with almost no protest at all, asked for a bread and butter sandwich, and we were read for Lindsey when she came.

With a clear livingroom with fewer distractions, Julia was able to listen to Lindsey. She was not perfect and she darted off at times to do or find something that seemed to her related to what Lindsey was doing. They listened to music together, learned to hold her violin, and learned to hold a play bow. We are edging closer to a real lesson.

I continue to read Temple Grandin amazed not only by what she has accomplished, but by her clarity, her ideas about education, her opportunities. I read to see how others influenced her -- parents, teachers, colleagues -- and see how important that influence was and is in her life. I take strength from how she 'turned out.' No single smidgeon of energy given to her was wasted. I know that my efforts with Julia are important. I am not always consistent, I do not always do everything possible, but I build every day a tower a little bit higher. I expect her to grow and change. And she does it.