i had the girls' parent/teacher conferences today. surprise, surprise, the girls are doing well and are advanced. j.'s teacher is working to find the right challenge work for her, and is going to push her to do it, since j. would just as soon ace her grade-level (too easy for her) work, and just sit and doodle with her remaining time.

e. has enough challenge trying to keep it all together - not substantively, but organizationally. i feel badly that she does NOT have a role model in this. i am always running around making deadlines and requirements by the seat of my pants. i have no routines. i don't have ONE PLACE that i put my keys, and i don't get anything ready for school "the night before." i often choose to watch a show or check bloglines instead of getting work done when i should.

who am i to teach her? i guess it's my job - regardless of my failure or success for myself in the same areas.

she's doing great so far. she has missed some homework assignments, but 4 out of 6 had valid reasons. I mean, who assigns homework on Halloween? She just, like her mother, is always just squeaking by - forgetting her journal and having to write on a separate piece of paper; having to call friends to find out what the assignment was, etc.

OH!! I raised the issue with her teacher that at the start of the year, the amount of homework was just overwhelming, that it felt like there was 2 hours/night, and it was a very difficult adjustment, while also conceding that now things are much more manageable, and it feels more like 45 minutes a night.

She said yes, I'm right. That at the start of the year, she did hit them hard, but has realized since that it's too much for them, and too much for her, and she's gone back on it. She's a first year teacher. At least she's willing to learn, and to adjust, right?? Also, as I told beloved today (who was a little sullen over the fact that e. is having to deal with a first year teacher), i'd rather she have a first-year teacher who aims too HIGH rather than one who aims too LOW, b/c that would be devestating for e., I think. I don't want her to have a chance to get lazy.

Neither of them need to be lazy. They can skip that part of their momma's school history, please.

Labels: kids, parenting, school

posted by Zuska @ 2:08 PM

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