How do you solve a problem like....Drew?

How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you find the words that mean "Drew"?

OK, enough paraphrasing The Sound of Music. But you get the point. I'm still in quite the quandry, and don't know how else to get through to him.

Drew seemed to get through Sparring class okay. At one point, he said he was getting tired, but I said that perhaps he can take a break, slow down, and just let the other kid have a chance to punch him in the chest as if he were a human punching bag, that way, he wouldn't leave class. RA saw and heard, and didn't object, yet Drew still automatically reacted that if the other kid tried to throw a punch or kick, he'd jump back out of the way, and then throw a punch back. Well, at least he's being conditioned.

Took forms class. I learned the form, but I think the problem is that since this is a relatively easy form and there are a LOT of little kids in the class, the class is BORING. VERY BORING. I think after you've done the harder forms and have to backtrack to the easier forms, it's hard to stay focused in class. I mean, I can get the hand-foot timing down. I'd better be able to do that at this level! I need a different focus in learning this and getting it down well for tournament purposes, and this class ain't doing it for me, as RA is just trying to get the kids to look better doing the stuff they are supposed to do (like hand-foot timing), and just get the form down. I might start skipping this class, and start going back to Thursday night classes, or going earlier on Wednesday classes. Something like that.

Forward to Drew's 2nd class, which is his regular W/O/Y class. He started up again. She started in class okay, although he was acting a little like a monkey. But it just went downhill from there. He was asked to sit on the sidelines if he couldn't participate, and was allowed back when he was ready. He basically sat for the whole rest of the class. He was not happy about it (but hell, he put himself there, after all!), and Em tried to talk to him, and make him smile, but both SW and I told her that while we understood that she was trying to be nice to him and appease him to get him to participate, she was, in actuality, rewarding him with personal attention when he was there to be punished. It's a fine line on where he was at, and she really wasn't at fault, and SW told her that. Her intentions were good, after all. But Drew has to learn that if he doesn't behave, he doesn't get the attention. You should get attention for positive behavior, not negative behavior. Like I said, it's a fine line, and she figured that maybe she could coerce him into getting with the program. I know I would have tried that too if it were some other kid. But this is Drew. He doesn't play by the same rules, and he has to get with the program, literally and figuratively. So she knows now. Not a big deal.

So, as a further punishment for not participating in class, not doing sparring in his W/O/Y class, he wasn't allowed to stay for his Masters stuff, which is the board breaking and weapons, and that's the stuff he likes, and I try to explain that the other kids aren't allowed (unless they are in Masters Club) to do those things, but he lost his privilege to do it since he wouldn't do him regular stuff in class. It was just as well today, with his attitude, but man, I'm at my wits' end anymore.

Like I said yesterday, I understand what it's like to be bored in class, as I'm in a similar position currently. BUT, you can't move on until you get certain things under your belt (no pun intended), and that includes the boring stuff. The same goes with regular school, as I explained to him. Sometimes you have to do the boring stuff before you can do the fun stuff, and the same goes for TKD. He's SOOOO close to moving up and finally doing upper level stuff, where he can be in the same class as me for a few cycles and that would be good. I asked Drew that when I had to teach the one class, if I was stricter than Mr. A, and he said yes. Maybe I should ask SW if I can start teaching the Saturday classes more, to help keep him in line, and some of the other kids too. (But he's the worst, I'm embarassed to say.) He's not a bad kid. But something's up with him that he's been near impossible not only in TKD classes, but at home too. He has his moments of being a good kid when at home, but I have a hard time with TKD now.

How do you find the words that mean...Drew? Many of things you know you'd like to tell him. Many of things he ought to understand...but how do you make him stay, and listen to all you say? How do you make a wave upon the sand? Oh how do you solve a problem like Drew? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?