I swear, I’m just going to get them both literal sets of antlers to strap onto their foreheads. CLASH CRASH SNORT BELLOW. Oh, testosterone, how you fill my days with sparkle.
Found out yesterday that Gabe got assigned to what’s been reported to me as the “easier” of the two kindergarten classes. Not that they use different curricula or anything, but I guess one teacher prefers a “sit down and write” approach, while the other is a bit more chill about things, and Gabe got the latter. I hope it works out and makes things pleasant for him, though he did do better at the less play-based preschool than he did at the opposite. We’ll see. For some reason, the kid who’s never been scared of school is now telling me that he’s afraid of kindergarten. His reason? “I won’t be in the same class as Sam.” Well, he’s never been before! Maybe he was hoping it’d be like Wednesday night class at church, where when he graduated from the nursery, it was to sit next to his big brother. In any event, this all started coming out after I read him Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, where she went to kindergarten; it was a wild romp of naughtiness that reminded me so much of him, but perhaps Junie’s apprehension of the bus let Gabe feel free to express his own anxieties. Poor guy. I reassured him that what Junie needed was what he’ll have: a big brother on the bus.
Sam got the teacher about whom we know nothing, good or bad. Keeping fingers crossed that he finally, finally, didn’t get the strict one. Not that there’s anything wrong with firmness, but after a few years, I think he’s served his time and has earned the right to the smiley teacher who giggles a lot, right? (Maybe I’ve earned it, too?)
Anyway. Supposed to be hot today, and I’ve got seven miles scheduled. I should work hard on waking up a little more, or I might doze right off in the middle of the run.
I’m doing this race as my first 50K/ultra in July 2012. I’m so tardy to the party but...
Do you have “Wemberly Worried”? That book was very helpful as well.
It’s great Gabe can express exactly what he’s worried about – better that than the child who is obviously upset about something, but can’t figure it out enough to articulate; it’s hard to help with something when you don’t know what the “something” is.
Fingers crossed for Sam – he certainly deserves a more pleasant year!
I hope that when I become a teacher, I can be the one the parents prefer, the “smiley” one.
I have a few years ’til that happens, but every time I read a parent’s perspective about teachers, it helps me formulate personality goals, as well as educational ones.
I hope he gets the “smiley” one, too!
It seems like his firmer teachers have all been the ones who have been there ages, probably closer to retirement than not. I dunno; I’d suppose time and effort wears anybody down, but I can recall plenty of older teachers who were always full of gentle smiles for us. Too much silly from a teacher wouldn’t be good, either (I remember being really frustrated with those teachers when I was a kid!), but it would at least be something different from what he’s been having!