Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Don't Miss Parent Teacher Day at School

There was a time of year as a kid that always dreaded. That was the one day a year my parents were supposed to come to school to meet my teachers. It was brutal for me because I always figured the worst things were going to be said and I would get grounded. I always worried that after the teacher said I was doing something poorly, that my mom would force me do it every night until it became acceptable. I never knew for sure what I was doing well because when I was little, I just figured all the kids were doing the same thing and moving along at the same pace.

It turns out that despite the anxiety I would have every year, my teachers would never have anything bad to say about me. If as a kid you were able to keep from poking out other kids' eyes or eating the fish we kept as pets in the classroom, your report was always pretty good.

Now with a little one of my own in grade 1, it was a blast to go on parent teacher day. I got to meet her teacher and to see the classroom and get a really good understanding of what goes on there from day to day. What has become so incredible is how much they have been able to pack into what appears to be a day care session. In fact a ton of learning is going on.

My little girl has improved her reading skills tremendously. She also has a basic understanding of mathematical principles. I'm pretty sure when I was her age, I was most concerned about some strange goop under a desk or if I would be able to stack blocks higher than a friend of mine. She really seems to be learning quite a bit and she loves it. The big deal during the parent teacher visit was to see the family picture that she drew of us. I always heard the stories about how sometimes your child will depict a little too much truth in those drawings. Not that we have anything about our family that is too unusual, but I was happy to see that through the eyes of my little girl, everything is moving along well.

It is important to me that she is a happy kid. By checking out what she is doing at school and hearing the great things her teacher had to say about her as a person, not just as a student, made me feel really good. I also strongly believe that she was happy that I attended. I get the feeling that she really loves that fact that I take an active interest in what she does, especially at school since it happens without us being there.

Needless to say, the parent teacher experience is something that all parents should look forward to with their little kids and realize that it is not nearly as angst ridden as the days when your parents had to come talk to your teachers. Perhaps we are moving forward a little bit as a people after all.

No comments:

Parents blogs
Mommy & Family Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add to Technorati Favorites