{day eleven}
It is the first day of the third week of school and I am already emailing back and forth with Drew's teacher.
This child is a special one, I tell you. He sure keeps me humble and challenged as a parent.
Drew did not want to go to school today. He actually hasn't wanted to go to school for a few days, but today's was the worst yet. He started telling me at bedtime last night that he thought he had too bad of a cold to go to school today. He didn't. He then tried to tell me that he had hurt his knee so badly that he couldn't go to school today. He hadn't.
He woke up this morning and started the protests yet again. He asked why he couldn't just stay home for the day because "it's not like I learn anything anyway. It's SO easy and boring!" I promised him that I would email his teacher today and see if there is anything harder he could do at school.
But then I felt weird about doing it. I don't want to be that parent. You know who I am talking about.
But then I had a little talk with myself. If Drew was struggling academically, if the work was too challenging for him, it would be okay to contact her for help. Or if Drew was having a hard time behaviorally, it would be okay to contact her for help. So I rationalized that Drew is struggling academically and that I was worried it was going to cause him to struggle behaviorally, so it was okay to contact her for help.
I sent a brief (and hopefully very positive and friendly) email explaining how Drew was feeling and asking what she had observed in the classroom. Her response was that Drew was already on her radar and has been on her mind a lot.
Uh oh--- my child has already been on his teacher's mind a lot and it was day eleven of the school year. Kind of alarming.
On a positive note, she says that he will be tested for the gifted program next month, and that she has already been looking for ways to challenge him in math and reading. He performed very well on an end-of-the-year math test (taken at the beginning of the year to show growth), so she has been trying to figure out a game plan for math this year.
On a less positive note, she alluded to some potential bragging Drew is doing about reading such big chapter books and said that reading is a sensitive subject in first grade and while it isn't a problem yet, she wouldn't want it to become one.
I talked to Drew after reading her email to find out what was going on. I said, "Drew, you don't brag at school about things, do you? Because we have talked about this and how it would make people feel." ..... no response, so I continue.... "Do you say things like, "This is too easy!" or brag about being good at school?"
I had to bite the side of my cheek when he responded to keep from smiling. He said, "I don't say anything like that out loud. I brag in my head." Where does this kid come up with all of this confidence?!?
What a school year this is going to be. One child in middle school with all of the adjustments that will bring her. One child in his last year of elementary school with a teacher known for pushing her students and giving lots of homework. One little one in her last year of preschool being lovingly nudged by her parents to come out of her shell a bit. And one first grader struggling in unique ways while silently bragging in his head about his abilities.
This child is a special one, I tell you. He sure keeps me humble and challenged as a parent.
Drew did not want to go to school today. He actually hasn't wanted to go to school for a few days, but today's was the worst yet. He started telling me at bedtime last night that he thought he had too bad of a cold to go to school today. He didn't. He then tried to tell me that he had hurt his knee so badly that he couldn't go to school today. He hadn't.
He woke up this morning and started the protests yet again. He asked why he couldn't just stay home for the day because "it's not like I learn anything anyway. It's SO easy and boring!" I promised him that I would email his teacher today and see if there is anything harder he could do at school.
But then I felt weird about doing it. I don't want to be that parent. You know who I am talking about.
But then I had a little talk with myself. If Drew was struggling academically, if the work was too challenging for him, it would be okay to contact her for help. Or if Drew was having a hard time behaviorally, it would be okay to contact her for help. So I rationalized that Drew is struggling academically and that I was worried it was going to cause him to struggle behaviorally, so it was okay to contact her for help.
I sent a brief (and hopefully very positive and friendly) email explaining how Drew was feeling and asking what she had observed in the classroom. Her response was that Drew was already on her radar and has been on her mind a lot.
Uh oh--- my child has already been on his teacher's mind a lot and it was day eleven of the school year. Kind of alarming.
On a positive note, she says that he will be tested for the gifted program next month, and that she has already been looking for ways to challenge him in math and reading. He performed very well on an end-of-the-year math test (taken at the beginning of the year to show growth), so she has been trying to figure out a game plan for math this year.
On a less positive note, she alluded to some potential bragging Drew is doing about reading such big chapter books and said that reading is a sensitive subject in first grade and while it isn't a problem yet, she wouldn't want it to become one.
I talked to Drew after reading her email to find out what was going on. I said, "Drew, you don't brag at school about things, do you? Because we have talked about this and how it would make people feel." ..... no response, so I continue.... "Do you say things like, "This is too easy!" or brag about being good at school?"
I had to bite the side of my cheek when he responded to keep from smiling. He said, "I don't say anything like that out loud. I brag in my head." Where does this kid come up with all of this confidence?!?
What a school year this is going to be. One child in middle school with all of the adjustments that will bring her. One child in his last year of elementary school with a teacher known for pushing her students and giving lots of homework. One little one in her last year of preschool being lovingly nudged by her parents to come out of her shell a bit. And one first grader struggling in unique ways while silently bragging in his head about his abilities.
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