Role Reversals

My fingers were told not to check my work email at 11 pm last night, but a force made me do it. I almost never think of doing it that late at night. But, there was a reason for it. I read an email from a 5th grade Math teacher asking me to join a parent conference to be held the following morning with DG and his father for a much needed sharing of inappropriate misbehavior for the past week. Mrs. B contacted me because she had heard that as I was walking with D to administer a reading inventory in my office, he had given me quite a disrespectful show, threw markers, pencils and notebooks up in the air with other students trailing behind him in the hallway and cornered himself against a wall of his choice until he was ready to move on that afternoon. For all the right reasons, I knew I had to present for the meeting, but I tossed and turned wondering what I would say to this father who I assumed might be the cause of this boy's low self esteem that I have picked up on. Nonetheless, I skipped my morning exercise because I did not get enough sleep, skipped breakfast so that I wouldn't be late and had my coffee much later just so that dad could tell his weeping son "Don't worry, you are not in trouble. It will be ok." (walking out with hugs and kisses). UGH!!!

I tried the reading inventory test again later this morning. D was pleasant, cooperative and focused. He even helped me write his dad a note expressing my delight. Then the afternoon came, back to square one! UGH! I took back that positive note, as he had not earned it after all. I reminded myself of how much I love 5th grade and how much I especially love the "struggling" kids. Kept repeating those words...all the way through the completion of his Principal's office referral.

So, at 3:30 pm, I was dying to meet Isabela at her school. Dying to see her run to me and feel her kisses all over. BUT, her after-school teacher approached me (same one who told me yesterday how well mannered and behaved she is). She prompted Isabela to tell me what she did to lead her into time-out, after THREE warnings and to tell me how she was asked to walk in line with the others, Isabela said "no". Yup! That's exactly what she did. Her teacher tried to give her the benefit of the doubt by telling me that she had a much larger class today, so things were not normal. Regardless, I was not happy about it. I paused for a second, made myself think like a teacher AND consciously did exactly what I wish my student's dad would had done this morning. We had a long talk about it with her teacher by my side explaining her teacher's role in her life, explained how inappropriate that was and then at home, after a long "quiet time" session, she and I talked about me, as a student in school. I think she really liked hearing my stories. (Of course, I only told the ones in which I was very obedient ;-)).

Sitting as a teacher this morning, trying to connect with my inner parent in order to be sensitive to the father, then squatting with Isabela by her teacher at the playground, trying to connect with my inner teacher. It's all so hard work.

How fortunate am I today, though.

Isabela's Halloween costume, picked out by her, is very telling of who she is...Double Trouble.

Te quiero Isabela. I stared at you tonight for several minutes as you slept..wondering what you will come up with tomorrow.