Well, we had our first day of classes at "real" school yesterday. I thought that we were good to go. We had been to Meet the Teacher, and had visited all of the classrooms, so I was feeling confident. (That's never a good thing. You know, when you get too confident!)
Let me take a step back for just a moment and explain how this "school" thing works for us again. We home school 4 days a week, then one day a week we head down the mountain to enjoy classes with other children. So...Grace takes 5 different classes, with 5 different teachers, and 5 different sets of kids. Oh, and the classes are in 5 different rooms. And...Ben takes 5 different classes, with 5 different teachers, and 5 different sets of kids, in 5 DIFFERENT classrooms. (Anyone feeling the anxiety yet?!) I had thought about this and how it could cause a few issues, but we were told that when we arrived on our first day, the children would be given lanyards with their lovely little schedules laminated so that they could follow them all day. (Or at least keep up with the schedule so that someone in the hallway could direct them to the right place.)
Mmmm, hmmm...yep...you guessed it!!!!! The program that prints those lovely little schedules for the lovely little lanyards seemed to have had a glitch. So, when we arrived, Grace and Ben were greeted by the nicest smiling faces and handed a small paper schedule which was not in sequential order, nor were room numbers on this lovely thing. (Take a deep breath! The story does actually turn out well!) It was at this point that I began to sweat. I look over at Grace to see what class she is supposed to go to first and realize at this point the schedule is not in order and that both kids will actually need to know how to read a schedule to accomplish this day. Grace has tears in her eyes as she says, "Mom, I don't know how to read this thing." I assure her she will be fine and rush through a schedule reading mini-lesson. I end this mini-lesson with this statement, "At the end of each class, get your schedule and walk up to the nearest adult and say, 'Where do I go next?'" Survival people! That's what you have to teach sometimes. So, Grace felt better and I dropped her off in her first classroom, and she was smiling!
My thoughts now turn to Ben, and here is where the sweat begins to drip from my forehead. Not only is my sweet boy supposed to keep up with this piece of paper (that means nothing to him, by the way), but he is also supposed to remember to grab his backpack after each class and take it with him, and figure out where he is to go next! (I'm going to stop for some oxygen now! Okay, I'm back.) I honestly did not even know where to start since I do not know ANYONE in this school. They do not know me, and they certainly don't know Ben. So, what did I do? Well, I walked up to the teacher and said, "I'm FREAKING OUT!" That's what all good mothers do, right?! Luckily, the teacher was a lovely lady, and could sense my anxiety. (Maybe because of what I had just said.) She assured me that all would be well. I think I kissed Ben's forehead about 20 times and said have a great day about 15. He kept looking at me like I was crazy! Then I walked out into the hallway, and there she was!!!!! Our angel! (God has given us one every year. Sometimes two or three or 50!) Mrs. Coffey. She went and took a picture of Ben's schedule with her phone, in case he lost it somewhere along the way, she would have it. She walked him from class to class all day! Sweet, precious lady!!!!!!
So, the kids made it through the day, thought it was great, and definitely want to go back next Thursday! Yay! Oh, and the office has the lanyards made now, so we will be getting those next week too. Wow! What a day!
To end this, I just want to say that I am so thankful that I have been a part of an amazing school district all these years, where I knew people on every campus and they KNEW my kids. In fact, I think there were days where I texted teachers to turn my child's shorts around because as he got out of the car I realized they were on backwards. Yep, pretty sure I did that, and they loved me through it! I miss my HISD home, and all of my friends and family there. I know I am going to come to love our new school family too (I mean, I already love Mrs. Coffey), but it's okay to miss the old. Right?!
No comments:
Post a Comment