So, The Girl loves art. BUT she rarely actually FINISHES any of it. I'm not sure if she'd just a bit ADD about it, and moves on before she finishes one thing, or if she's having issues reconciling her idea with how it actually comes out once it's on the paper.
This isn't a real problem (not that *I* worry about anyway) in her own artwork, I chalk it up to her developing herself (when I'm feeling kindly). The problem comes when she's taken an elective in school, and fails to finish several art projects. There were three things at the end of this last quarter that were marked as Missing/Incomplete (four, if you're counting the shapes assignment). AND THIS WAS A CLASS SHE LOVED.
She is also pretty shy about lots of things, talking to adults is one of them (I know, she never used to be, but she is now). I'm attempting to not hover and intervene with the teachers, because she has to learn this stuff and the earlier the better. I am keeping in touch with the teachers when she does have a problem, so that they know I'm there, paying attention and that we do care about this.
What I ended up doing about the Art class was emailing the teacher and asking if she was willing to grade the assignments if The Girl turned them in. I was very clear that I didn't want them graded for marking period credit, merely that the lesson needs to be that putting things off won't make them go away, they'll simply pile up, and LOOK at what your grade would have been had you simply done this when you were supposed to!
So, my hat is off to Ms. Gillis, who not only agreed to my plan, but volunteered HER after school time to allow The Girl to complete a clay project. And that class? It's over now, since it was only a semester long. The Girl isn't actually her student right now, and she's willing to help us train the girl in a big-picture sort of way. I'm impressed. I shouldn't be, but I am. :)
So, thank you Ms. Gillis.
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