As we were walking down the hall to Harper's classroom he asked me what he thought the teacher might say and whether or not I thought she'd have anything bad to tell me. I told him I didn't expect anything bad but if he needed to tell me something now was the time! He said no, he was just wondering, so in we went.
The kids brought some paper to write or draw on while I spoke to their teachers so while they found a spot to do that, Harper's teacher and I settled at a table to talk. Mrs. Zak, began by showing me a list of some of Harper's positive traits, a list of 8-10 things that included his capability to turn work in on time, his respectfulness to her and her classroom rules, his friendliness and kindness to others as well as his ability to answer questions correctly when asked. She also had a list of things Harper could improve on and a couple of those were less chatting with classmates and participating more in group discussions.
I told her that Harper had asked if she would be telling me anything negative about him and that I told him if he needed to confess to something the time was then. She laughed a little and said that he does love to talk and be silly with classmates but not to the extent that it's a problem. She said she just gives him a look and some raised eyebrows and he gets his act together. That made me laugh a little and I told her his asking me about my expectations right before going into the conference made me think of a person who worries about flossing right before they see the dentist! It's just a little too late at that point! She had a good laugh about that and then showed me some of his writing and other work they've been doing. All in all, he's doing great and she enjoys his writing just about as much as I do. The boy has a terrific imagination and it shows when he's given a fun story prompt.
As soon as we'd finished in Harper's class we walked down to Dakota's room. Her teacher was still with another parent so we waited a few minutes in the hall before being called in. Mrs. Campbell-Clark is long term subbing for Dakota's teacher Mrs. Q while she's out on maternity leave. We haven't even actually met Dakota's real teacher yet but I have heard that she will be back to school the week before Christmas break.
Mrs. Campbell-Clark spoke very highly of Dakota and told me she was a true joy to have in class. She said that she is a hard worker and can be counted on to do her assignments without worry. She is in the second highest reading group and her teacher believes that she'll be ready to move up to that top level before the end of the year if she keeps up the hard work and practices reading at home. She showed me some of the writing Dakota does in her journal at school and gushed about how nicely Dakota writes. I loved getting a little glimpse into her journal and I too couldn't get over how nice her handwriting is!
Both kids are doing very well in school and they both seem to be happy to be there each day which certainly makes things easier. I hope that they'll both continue to enjoy this year and the many years ahead of them.
*I didn't have conferences with Landon's teachers but did check his grades and so far this year, he's doing terrific! Fingers crossed he keeps up the hard work so he can finish strong!
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