Mid-last week, Dekker and Laela had parent teacher interviews. Brady had to work a long day, so I asked someone over to come hang with the kids, and I went to meet Dekker and Laela after school. We doddled in the library for a bit, since Dekker’s interview didn’t start until 3:30.
The kids read me books and told me about their days. I asked them if there was anything they specifically wanted me to bring up at the interview, and they both said no. So we just waited and moseyed our way over a few minutes early.
Dekker’s interview was first. I went in with him, and Laela read library books out in the hallway while she waited for her turn.
Meeting with Dekker’s teacher was really really good. She had given the kids a questionnaire to fill out, so Dekker answered the questions of what he needs/wants from school. How he best works. What he likes and dislikes. None of it surprised me, or her. He prefers quiet, he said. She read a question that asked what he needed from her to help him finish work at the right time, and he shrugged. We all laughed, because if Dekker is ONE THING, he is a rule follower. He loves his guidelines and to know what’s expected of him, and then he can quite easily excel at that thing. They discussed the ONE time he got upset and had a hard time recovering. His teacher expressed that he had done well, had asked for a break, and had watched for the remainder of the class. She said to him “If you’re ever uncomfortable with something we’re doing, I want you to tell me so I can help you. Sometimes, I’ll let you sit out, and sometimes, I’ll push you a little. But we’ll go slow, ok?” I LOVED that. She has such a good radar for him, and is SO sensitive. We talked about how he was actually excelling in being int he split class, which I was a little concerned about. She agreed with me that he is SO intelligent, but tends to hang back a little when he’s not feeling confident. The split has been a good push for him, and he’s doing great with it. His reading is up to where she says most grade four kids are at, so that is wonderful! She even asked if we had any special family holidays or dates that were important to us, so they could also be important to the class. I couldn’t think of anything, but she left the door open to mention anything at anytime. The bottom line of that interview was that she is really 100% there to help the students, and that she really cares about them. She cares that they’re learning and growing academically, but she really cares about them as people. I love that so much! Dekker has had so few struggles thus far in grade three, and the small amount he’s had have been handled gracefully. I’m super happy with how his interview went.
Once we were done at Dekker’s interview, he biked on home and I went with Laela to wait her turn. We were early, but apparently no one had filled that slot, and we could go in early! Laela was a little quiet during the interview, but I think it was odd for her to have her mom and her teacher in the same place. A bit of a “worlds colliding” moment, maybe. She was being a little silly, and said some of her favourite parts of school were the guinea pigs and the bouncy chairs. We got out of her that she likes playing on the computer, the library, and the microscope. She likes having her own desk, and says she likes lots of kids and usually has friends around her. Her teacher confirmed that she was super social, as well as very polite and helpful. I mentioned that Laela is something of a second mom to the little kids at home, and her teacher said she could see that in her. She’s a very soft, sweet little girl and she really loves to help people. She likes to do jobs and clean up at the end of the day. We got into the academic talk next, and discussed that Laela is reading at level F. Her teacher said realistically she could read at an even higher level, but now that the books are getting longer and more detailed, she wants Laela to practice recounting the story, not just blasting through it. Laela doesn’t have a particular struggle with that, from my view, but I’m definitely happy to ride it out and get better at it!! We talked math, which Laela doesn’t love, but still excels at. Her teacher teased her a little, saying “I’m not sure why you don’t like it, you’re great at it!” Laela kind of smiled shyly, and looked down. I get her. She just likes letters better than numbers. But her teacher was right. Laela is good at numbers. She’s pretty natural at most things she tries. As for Laela’s attitude, she’s a really happy student. The ONE time I heard about her crying at school, besides getting physical hurt, was in gym, when she SO BADLY wanted to get the basketball in the hoop and just couldn’t get it. A hard working, frustrated cry. I get that, too. Before we were done, Laela blew the whistle on me and told her teacher I had just lost a baby, and a couple other before. I saw her teacher wince a little before she snapped back into professional mode. Without missing a beat, she continued her conversation with Laela by saying she had done the same thing, and that it was really really hard. And that was that. Somehow, I loved her response. No shock or gasping or devastation. No reaction beyond having an open discussion with my kid. I LOVED that. The interview wrapped up with Laela showing me where she keeps the stuff she’s currently working on, and with her teacher reassuring me that she couldn’t come up with a concern if she had to. I liked that, too. She’s confident in Laela, as am I.
I felt so good about the meetings I had that day. To know that both of my children are thriving and succeeding at school thrills my heart. The work we’re putting in is paying off, and my children continue to be taught by good, warm, strong people who care more about the children themselves than the grades they produce. Its just an added bonus that their grades are strong, too.
I am SO thrilled with the school my children attend. I hope we can stay here forever.