Tears

School has been over for almost a week now and I am just getting to post about it. I really wish I could find more time in the day (without kids).

After a horrible year in first grade last year, Sarah couldn't run out of the building fast enough. She had absolutely no desire to say goodbye to her teacher, let alone give her a hug. I'll have to admit, I agreed with her. Mrs. F turned her love of school into pure torture after just two week. We spent the year in a constant state of frustration and tears. She hated going to school, she didn't understand homework, and there was little communication from the teacher. There was a bully in her class that gave Sarah such grief and Mrs. F had extremely poor classroom management skills.

However, being a counselor within the same school district, I didn't want to become that parent; the one who was always complaining and trying to blame their child's issues on others. So I worked with Sarah at home on how to deal with the teacher and the bully. She also worked with her counselor at school to develop some coping strategies as well. She managed to survive the year, and even had perfect attendance. But I knew something needed to change.

I wrote to the principal of the school at the end of last year detailing my concerns and hopes that Sarah would have a better year in 3rd grade. Thankfully, Sarah was placed with the only teacher she wanted.

This year was such a better year for her. We still have some of her own behaviors to deal with, but all in all, she had a very successful year. We had very little frustration and tears, in sharp contrast to last year. Once, again, I wrote a letter to the principal. However, this year, the letter was in praise of Mr. L and his way of bringing Sarah back to loving school. In fact, she didn't want the year to end. She was in tears over the whole thing for hours. Even at bedtime, she got weepy just thinking about the fact that she wouldn't be able to see Mr. L until school returned in the fall.



I couldn't be happier!