The Frustration of Parent/Teacher Conferences

I had my most dreaded conference today - my "both as his teacher & if he were MY son, I would not send him to kindergarten next year". :::pours drink:::

After my student's mother rescheduled 4 times - which irks me to no end, seeing as I view that as 2 hours worth of spots the other parents could have been filling - it was a complete waste of a half an hour.

She says she doesn't know how to control him at home when he demands to play with toys instead of doing what she asks him to do. He has free rein of the tv & DVD's. She's a stay at home mom, but doesn't spend any time with him - no real conversation, no reading to him, no sitting & teaching through play. What the hell is the use of being a stay at home mom if you won't interact with your child! I would KILL to be in your shoes. I would give ANYTHING to be able to have those years back & do them all over with my girls. Not do them differently, just again.

This child is allowed to stay up until 9 & his mother brings him to school "when he wakes up" (usually 10). I CAN'T TEACH YOUR CHILD IF HE ISN'T IN CLASS!!! I suggested that maybe she might want to bring him at 9 (allowing him to be in BOTH groups) in an attempt to catch up & then perhaps she pick him up at the "half-day" mark and work with him while his sister naps. No, she says she likes to have time in the afternoon to get things done.

I explained to her that he should at least know the letter that his name begins with... she countered with "well one of the teachers can work extra with him in the afternoon". I told her that I was concerned that he didn't know the difference between numbers & letters, let alone what you do with them. "He's just not interested in learning at home so I let him play." I told her that his lack of fine motor skills is extremely concerning - she says he doesn't like to color or use a pencil so she doesn't make him. I told her that his social and verbal and coping skills are hovering at about a 2 year old level & she asked if we had workbooks we could give him to work on. Workbooks? For social & verbal skills?

:::sigh::: Lady, I'm beginning to come to grips with the fact that I can't fix in 5 months what you've taken 5 years to screw up.

I have to realize that there are just some instances that you try as hard as you can & no matter what, the outcome will be unfavorable. I have to accept that even wishing it & willing it & working at it with all your heart doesn't magically make things happen. I have a hard time letting go of the "well, what if I did____" and "what if I had pushed him harder".

But then I look into the shining faces of my other 21 kids and am amazed at how far they've come. My rag-tag bunch of monkeys that I love with all my heart - the reasons I continue to teach with sub-par wages & waves of wet pants and biting that come with a full moon or north wind. One of my students was a left in a dumpster when born, one was abandoned in the streets of India before being adopted & coming to America a year ago, 2 have autism & one was born with massive head abnormalities. We've worked on individual goals ranging from sitting still for 4 minutes to dealing with sensory overload to abandonment issues to reading Step 1 books. Even with all the frustration & hurdles & challenges, I look at my little ones & see that the only child I'm recommending stay back is a child of privilege whose every whim is catered to.

I'm overcome and humbled at how strong & spirited & absolutely brilliant my class is.

My class has taught ME this year. ♥

The Bunny Show

From 6:45 - 7:15 tonight I got another "rollercoaster" that comes with parenthood - the kindergarten play. Alessa was Betty Bunny and gleefully got to call her sister naughty and stubborn on numerous occasions while Caleigh managed to land the lead as the "naughty & haughty & wild" Bunny Sue - a part that was not all acting to be honest.

I was told by her teacher weeks ago as they were casting for the different parts (yes, the 5 year olds had to audition for the parts they desired), that they really wanted Caleigh to be Bunny Sue - that "she'd make the perfect Bunny Sue - but they weren't sure about casting her. You see, Caleigh likes to do things HER way. I know, very surprising - I don't know where she has inherited the strong will from. Her teacher went on to say that they wanted it to remain the BUNNY show and not become the CALEIGH show - if they ask for one twirl, it means ONE twirl; if they ask for 3 hops they mean THREE hops & if directions were not followed - both during class & rehearsals - that a giant hook could very well show up from the wings & drag the little ham offstage.

I agreed with her teacher & told her, "Hey, it's a learning experience. I hope she behaves herself - we'll emphasize the importance of it - but if she doesn't, maybe it's what she needs to drop the stubborn streak."

With that being said, my child became an angel for over a month. All I had to do at the slightest hint of misbehavior was say, "What, Bunny Sue?" and it would cease immediately. It was glorious.

On the other hand, when your child is chosen for the lead of a play, they don't just have a line or 2 or the same line repeated over & over again. Caleigh had quite a few lines to memorize along with 5 or 6 songs, choreography & cues. About a week into the practicing, her teach approached me, concerned that she was having great difficulty with her cues. Alessa, on the other hand, knew her lines, most of the lines of the students around her & could feed Caleigh her lines. Their teacher suggested that we make a copy of the video from the year before & let her watch that a few times. A few times soon translated to "a few times a day". We worked constantly, every day for 5 weeks, until I thought my very soul would turn black if I had to watch "Get Hoppin'" even one more time.

But I did get to see it "one more time" - the time that counted. They could not have looked any cuter up there in their bunny ears & cotton tails. Alessa had a smile that would melt even the hardest of hearts & kept flashing "I Love You" signs to us. Caleigh felt oh-so-important with her headset mic - I'm pretty sure she was envisioning herself as Pink or Katy Perry for a few moments.

The cast was on their marks on stage, the audience began to quiet, and who is the child who causes everyone to wait because she desperately had to use the bathroom? That would be my little Bunny Sue. I turned 18 shades of red & I'm sure her teacher wanted to strangle me.

I think Caleigh wanted a big entrance.

They remembered every line (Alessa mouthed EVERYONE'S lines), they sang every song with gusto (or maybe that was just because of her headset mic), and they hit every cue like seasoned pros.

I couldn't have been prouder of my monkeys.

Mommy, The Wino?

At dinner, I carried cups out to the girls with a pitiful amount of milk in them. They looked at the cups & then to me with an expectant look.
"Sorry girls, that's the last milk in the house."
Alessa, concerned, asked, "Are you going to have water then?"
"Nope."
"Soda?"
"Nope."
"Wine?"
:::blink blink::: Pardon?

I've NEVER had wine, and I make an effort not to have them see us drink (an occasional social drink after the girls go down for the night if we have friends over). Where on earth do they get this stuff?!?!?!

Children

They tear your heart out on a daily basis & then hand it back to you with sweet smiles on their faces. It's the best thing in the world & I wouldn't trade it for anything.

2 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed...

While "napping" Alessa decided to stand on the bed (definitely verboten in the Taylor house). She inevitably fell & took the edge of the table to the cheekbone. After lots of tears, an ice pack & some snuggles, she turned to me & said "I HATE having a broken face."