3 am with coffee and dogs

Up early again getting ready for a 4:30 am ESL class.  Both dogs slept through the night which is good.  I've been worried about Zenji though.  She's had some tenderness with her hips but carprofen seems to help.  The challenge is trying to keep her calm once she starts feeling better.  I've made an appointment with another vet and hopefully this one may have some insight into what is going on with Zenji.  If anything, I should be able to get a prescription for pain meds to help Zen when she needs it.

This morning's student was a no-show which was a little frustrating but I still get paid.  I think however, I would have preferred to sleep in a bit. 

Overall the students have been really good this year, no real behavior issues as of yet.  I think the most challenging student is one that is struggling to read basic three letter words.  He tends to act up a bit when it is his turn to read but I think he only does that because he doesn't know how to sound out the words.  I'm going to start giving him some extra attention and focus on letter sounds and blending.  Hopefully that will give him some confidence.

Take care,

Teresa, Zenji and CeeCee

 2 am with coffee and dogs

Zenji's internal chronometer went off at 2 am this morning...again.  She's getting back to normal but I need to find a way to reset her clock.  I am a morning person but 2 am is a bit early.

Today kicks off another week of online classes. The kids I work with are not meeting the reading requirement for their grade level which is why they've been assigned to me.  I believe several of the students are dyslexic though they've not been officially identified as a developmentally challenged student.  Limited school resources and insufficient teacher training can play a role in the student's condition not being recognized.  Many educators just don't know what to look for and often attribute reading difficulty to low intelligence or lack of a solid reading foundation.  I do need to point out that I am not a certified dyslexia specialist, I only know the areas that are most challenging to my students and I try to help them work through these challenges.

Saturn

No luck viewing Saturn last night.  Arizona's monsoon was active and it rained most of the evening.  Perhaps the conditions will be better tonight.

Take care, 

Teresa, Zenji and CeeCee