Parent Teacher Conferences

Last week, I attended parent teacher conferences for the boys. Overall, they are both doing very well.

There is often something I learn in parent teacher conferences that I did not really know about my children. And of course, I hear a lot of what I may already know, but receive new insights.

For example, Colin is very detailed in his writing journal. His teacher encourages the children to use color and details in the picture they draw to go with the sentence they write. Colin uses colors and adds lots of details, everything from the clouds in the sky to the grass on the ground. He has even started putting fingers on his people and his teacher is now encouraging the kids to put clothes on the people. Colin's teacher has used his journal pictures as an example to the class. I knew Colin enjoyed coloring, but I did not realize Colin was so detailed in his pictures. Otherwise, academically Colin is doing great. He knew all his letters and the sounds they make and most of the numbers he was tested on, could count over 100 and knows how to rhyme. He enjoys school and is a good listener in class. However, there is a little girl that has become a good little friend and they have had to be separated from each other. This little girl goes to daycare with Colin and we take her to Karate on Friday's since her mom doesn't get home from work in time. She has come to really like our family and we like her, but she has told one of the daycare teachers that she loves Colin. I think Colin is oblivious to that fact though. We are keeping a close eye on them though. Colin wishes he could go to school everyday. This every other day schedule the school district started this year for kindergarten has not allowed him to be at school as much as he would like.

Can I just say, I really like Jordan's teacher. I believe being in a 2nd/3rd split class is a great opportunity for him. His teacher understand kids like him and really wants each child she teaches to succeed. She stands at the door every morning and greets each and every child as they come into the classroom. She is a very enthusiastic and an organized teacher with a good routine. All of which are qualities that Jordan needs in a teacher. Academically, Jordan is doing wonderful. He is reading at the 3rd grade level and often gets sent out to read in the hallway with his reading partner because they do so well together and they don't need the additional instruction that many other students need in the classroom. He is also one of the top students in his math group. However, we need to work on his writing. He has good spelling, excellent ideas, good punctuation and creativity, but it is all very hard to read what he has written. His teacher is working with him and I have already seen some slight improvements since the beginning of the year, but he has a ways to go. Jordan is somewhat impulsive, so he sometimes needs to be reminded what he should be doing or how he should be acting, but when he is actively engaged he listens well and participates appropriately. However, he still wants to be a class clown and needs to be reminded when it is not appropriate.