I was told by his fourth grade teacher that his parents "just wanted him to be able to be himself" and that they didn't want him to get in trouble for being a little hyper or crazy sometimes. So I wasn't sure what to expect from him.
The year started and he was definitely one of the most spirited in the class. Making inane jokes, falling out of his chair, answering questions incorrectly a little too often and a little too zanily, and every time pausing like a veteran stand-up for the laughter that might or might not come. Usually, his comments caused the kids to look at me to see if they should laugh, followed by my response: the double eyebrow raise with a partial smile to show that he wasn't being bad - just needed to relax. He would then half smile and look down, "Sorry Miss Corday." A few times I tried to make it into an inside joke by telling him, "this is not the '2' Show." However, with 2 a joke never ends: "Now can it be the 2 show?" every half an hour.
Some outside psychological testing showed that he has some memory/processing problems, which could explain his inability to put his knowledge down into words. I will miss 2's eagerness to do well and his ability brighten the room with one comment and smile.
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