Usually, hearing from a teacher means bad news...but every once in a great while it can mean good news...such was the news of today.Ben, my middle child, is a bright boy who has driven me crazy this year when it comes to his studying and doing homework. How many times have I heard from his teacher that "if only" he had gotten his homework complete his marks would have been better, that his in-class work is good but he just doesn't complete all assignments. Sometimes leaves 3 or 4 math questions unanswered. WHY? Late handing in projects.
So a short time ago I heard from his teacher one time too many and so I asked for a meeting between the 3 of us. If I had the faintest idea that all we had to do was sit down and lay it on the line - 'Ben, we're both here to help you. We know you can do anything you set your mind to so we're not going to let you fail yourself' - I would have done that at the start of the year. Actually, I don't know what finally clicked but something did. He has completed every project since then, BEFORE their due date. He is doing his homework...yadda, yadda, yadda. I know it doesn't hurt that his teacher is very young and perky and very cute and that she happens to be a cousin of his favorite aunt - whatever....it worked. She emailed me tonight and told me that he has more than passed his 3rd term, in the three subjects she teaches, and is well on his way to passing his 4th - the momentum of this term will hopefully push him through to the end of the year. He was grinning from ear to ear. I told him how proud I am of him and that he should be very proud of himself. He couldn't wait to call a family friend to let her know that he earned 3 'green' marks on his upcoming report card from these three classes with the possibility of 2 more from other classes. "Wowsers!", is a direct quote from his teacher. And kudos to this young teacher...she has gone above and beyond to help him see his full potential. She has not backed down, she has given him every opportunity to shine....if only every child was given this type of understanding and guidance...the world needs more teachers like her.
