Talks with teachers

We had a great round of parent/teacher conferences this week.  I will include a few details here so that on tough days with the kids (read: every day), I can look back and realize our household isn't a complete disaster.

Lexi: She didn't have a formal conference, but casual conversations and emails with her teacher, Miss Rachel, have helped me know that she's in an excellent place this year.  She loves school and is making friends, and, according to Rachel, is a delightful member of her class.  We took a chance on this preschool, and it seems like the perfect fit.  Hooray!

Gavin: Miss Donna has been a great addition to Gavin's life.  He is thriving in school, although his writing skills are lagging behind (which is an expected repercussion of his sensory issues).  At his conference, Donna said (this is a direct quote): "I love Gavin! He is perfect. I wish I had ten of him in my class!"  We are so very happy that Gavin is having a great school experience.  He leaves his meltdowns and outbursts for home, which is just as it should be, right?

Tyler: In meeting with his TAG and classroom teachers, we learned that Tyler is really growing and stretching this year.  He has fully assimilated to his grade acceleration and has the respect of his peers.  Tyler is a very sensitive child and has strong feelings about things, but he is managing quite well socially. He is so detail oriented that he sometimes struggles to complete assessments in the allotted time frame.  Since that was the only suggested area for improvement, we were pleased.

Zach: We met with both elementary and middle school teachers for this kid.  Zach's algebra teacher had nothing but praise for Zach's maturity, intelligence, and ability.  He is doing very well and has exceeded the teacher's expectations for social integration with the 7th and 8th graders in his class.  The logistics of transporting him between schools and classes is working very well for all involved.  Zach has recently shown remarkable improvement in writing, at least for his TAG teacher.  His performance for his regular 5th grade classroom teacher isn't so great, so we are working on a plan to help Zach care as much about success in social studies and science as he does in reading and math.  It's a work in progress.

Overall, we feel so lucky to call these kids our own.  Home life can be pretty frustrating, and it's easy to focus on what isn't working in our relationships and routines.  Happily, parent/teacher conferences were an unexpected and much-needed boost.  It helps us see our children the way others do, and at least at school, the perspective is amazing.