Playground advice and great expectations.

On any given weekday kids beg their parents for a few minutes on the school playground before heading home after the bell has rung. Parents gather at the picnic tables and begin sifting through uneaten lunches, teacher notices, and spelling sheets, while they talk amongst themselves. They hardly make eye contact, while watching the kids, one earis open specifically towards the kids, in case a fights or ow -wies .
It's during these conversations, the topic inevitably swings to"How is your child doing with his/her teacher, and what are they like". This information becomes invaluable, for some parents because they feel the need to choose, by writing a request letter, of the teacher their Child is placed with next year.
I fell victim to relying on this information myself, at the end of last school year. Though I never wrote a letter, I certainly listened. I did not know the teachers my daughter could possibly end up with, much less their teaching styles and who would best help my child develop in Grade 2. There was certainly enough talk on the playground. Mrs.C, MrsO. were the two you wanted your child to have. But Mrs O - more so. She was the cat's pajamas as far as any parent I've talked to is concerned. But Mrs. C. and Mrs O. worked together lots and had quite a few of the same values. So either Mrs.C or Mrs. O would do really.

However, Mrs S. , according to the playground rumblings, was the one you didn't want. She is an old school philosophy, disorganized, pill pushing, should-have-retired-long-ago old goat. Who, according to some children, is mean and will make you cry.

My Gem ended up with the much coveted Mrs. O. She has the reputation of making school fun, and striving above and beyond the call of duty, to make kids love school and learning. She is the one who will see the potential in your child and encourage them. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
With all the praise floating around, I entered this new school year with some trepidation. This teacher had some big shoes to fill, and as a parent, I could not be caught up in this hoopla.The funny thing was, if I expressed some caution towards Mrs. O., there were 5 or more parents ready to defend her. Righteously.
At the first parent/teacher interview at the end of September, I had with her, Mrs. O. expressed what a good student my daughter was. The home reading program was about to start and, she had some concern that Gem was only at a level 15. She should be at a Level 19, by the end of November. But Gem had scored very high on her fluency and comprehension, which translated that she should be at a higher reading level than what she was. Even after I explained that Gem had finished Grade 1 at level 16, Mrs. O felt it best to leave her at level15, for now.

During the first 2 weeks of the program Gem was re-reading some stories she'd read in Gr. 1, and seemed to whiz through them, finding these stories very easy. After school, one day I expressed a concern to Mrs O. that Gem should be moved up a level, and she said that all the children are at an easier level so that they can practice fluency and comprehension.

The very next day I received a notice from Mrs. O. explaining upcoming Halloween Festivities. The notice requested donations of craft supplies for the party that was to take up most of the morning, and also, just to forewarn all parents she planned to "Fill them up with .. SUGAR" She welcomed treats for the party, but was also having a cookie station where kids were to decorate cookies, so if someone was willing to bake 2 doz. cookies... you get the picture.
Over the next 5 days Halloween festivity updates were sent home regularly until all the supplies were collected.
By the Halloween party itself , Gem had not moved up a level in her reading. One night while reading a book that came home a second time, Gem said, "Mommy, this is too easy, and I'm bored."
My kid normally loves to read. Loves to read out loud, to me and Carpenter, and will sit with a book and quietly read to herself. Now she was bored. My daughter had less than a month to reach the minimum requirement of level 19 before report cards came out, And she was bored.
I was Pissed.

I wrote a quick note to Mrs. O. I asked her again to please move Gem up a level. The next afternoon Gem returned home with a note from Mrs. O. saying that she had assessed Gem that day.She would be moving her to level 19. She went on to say that it is not about speed, or ability to read, its about comprehension, and fluency and sometimes we can be frustrated with the process, and I need to be patient.
Let me get this straight. My daughter starts the reading program at a level she finds easy, but for comprehension and fluency sake, she is forced to stay there for a month. While hoopla is stirred up for a Halloween party. After a second request, she is re-assessed and found to move up not one , but 4 levels in one day? And I'm the one who needs to allow the Process to take it's sweet ass time... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Mrs. O is off to a bad start filling those shoes....