Parent Teacher Confer.

Is there a word for parents who go to parent teacher meetings just to hear people say good things about their kids? You know they're not having real trouble in any subject but you go anyway? Affirmation needy? What? Just needing a perfect stranger to tell you that they're not so bad - they're growing up normal. They'll survive ok in this crazy world. You did your job right. I've heard a teacher say it's the parents of the good kids that come, but the parents of the troubled kids you never see. This year I was able to schedule them so Danny could make it too.

DJ - 1st grade (at a new school) was student of the month in Sept. and Mathias was student of the month in Aug. We told Isaiah "no pressure but you better step it up buddy!" :) DJ's conference went well. I had been worried about his reading. With the speech issues when he was younger, I'd been concerned he'd struggle. So we've been focusing on his reading. He's at 45 WPM (end of year goal is 40) His spelling is 91%. So he's fine in that area. We do need to work with him on math - he's still calculating every equation and needs to know the facts cold - off the top of his head. We'll get out the flash cards and the cheerios etc. Danny's proud of this but it's true. Every time he sits and spends time teaching the boys something, they really get it. He's a patient teacher. As far as character and behavior, she was please with how he'll work independently. From what I've seen and heard, I think he might be a little shy and reserved outside his home environment. But we're pleased he's transitioned to the school just fine.

Mathias - (4th grade) His teacher is the aunt of a football teammate. I think she's taken a special interest in him. She commented on his interception from this last game. I missed it (I was running Isaiah to his game) but Danny tells me it was pretty smooth. He was running, didn't break stride, caught the ball and kept going. His 4th this season. 4.0 GPA, reading level 6.?, excellent in math. I need to post a poem he wrote. too funny. Behavior in class, great. He's not a hyper kid so that translates to the classroom a bit better (I think Isaiah struggles with the classroom restrictions a bit more.) Mathias seems to get the young, pretty, new teachers. and yeah, Danny and I left feeling a bit old. :)

Isaiah - 6th grade. 3.27 GPA, As and Bs (he brought the 78 in Math up) His teacher says he doesn't struggle with the concepts, mostly just carelessness. We're trying to get him to double check his work - he's a full speed kind of guy so slowing down is an unnatural behavior for him. He's also got so many ideas, that focusing them for English is an effort. Behavior wise: he has several teachers. One teacher (a man) praised him for participating, being involved in class, answering questions, asking them, etc. Of the 3, only one mentioned he can be "distracted" and she has him sit up front. She mentioned she has him right at lunch time - does food make difference? The 6th grade has the latest lunch of the day, she said kids are more focused in the morning. It's not an excuse, and frankly I expected all his teachers to mention something like that. But he's not a troublemaker and has never been disciplined and even she had nice things to say. They're going to begin a verbal section, speeches, etc. so I think he'll enjoy that. One girl at school calls him the "loud crazy guy." One teacher told us that every morning Isaiah comes tearing into the school yard chased by a tiny blond 1st grader. He flings his backpack down and keeps on running. We know this girl from football. I think she figured out she'll get a big reaction and lots of theatrics from Isaiah so she chases him. One football mom told me she noticed Isaiah had taken her son under his wing. Watching out for him, reminding coach if he didn't get his plays, etc. That gives me hope, there might be some responsibility under it all. :)

So that's a snapshot of the boys. Maybe in a few years when they're huge and grown and "too cool for school" I'll reread this and remember the boys whose favorite subject was recess. . . hmmm, but do boys really ever outgrow that???