We have a conference with my 1st graders teacher tomorrow. I am new at this… sorry!!! So rather calling it conference time, I think that confrontation time, may be just a bit better suited!
No, don’t get me wrong… I am not one bit excited about this. However, here is my scoop.
The level of education in Nevada…. um low!! So, low in fact that I heard on the radio last year that a study was done. The study rated 100 places of education. We ranked number 98 “least learned“, here in Las Vegas. Seriously, would you not be concerned with that number in itself? We are two numbers away from being the least educated area. So being a MILITARY family and knowing that we are not going to be here forever… we are looking at the brighter side of things! WE WON’T BE HERE FOREVER, AND OUR KIDS WON’T BE GOING TO THESE SCHOOLS FOREVER! We have had friends with older children that have lived here and did extremely well in their classes, and then when they moved to another duty station. Did not fare so well. We took this as a sign to work really hard with Jaden and making his education one of our top priorities.
So he went to a normal public school, just up the road from where we live, for Kindergarten. Then towards the end of the school year, there was an approval for a charter school, to go in a bit further down the road. We immediately applied to get him in the charter school. How great we thought it would be for his education, while we are here. Our application was approved and he began his 1st grade year at the new school. His teacher was fabulous. We struggled, and when I say WE , I really mean WE! We spent hours every weekend and wk day studying, spelling is his weak subject! Hours for just spelling is no less than 1 1/2 hours per night on just spelling, and he still failed every test. The teacher said that it was ok, that every student was struggling, but to keep working hard that he was trying, and everything would turn out.
Just before Christmas, his teacher quit. We got a new teacher, just one wk before Christmas break! She seemed really nice, and don’t get me wrong still seems pretty nice. However with that being said, we are having WAY more issues. Jaden’s grade in spelling on 10-7 was C- then Q1 was D-, 1-5 D, and now 2-17 F. Ok, maybe I shouldn’t be all whacked out because of the grades going down and up. However the change in teachers brought on much GREATER expectations. I am not a teacher, I won’t even proclaim that it is even close to my calling in life, however I do think that Jaden is doing much better in spelling not much worse. He was FAILING, no denying at the start of the year, and now he is actually spelling most of the word right. Most being…. this last test he got 1 word out of 10 wrong in actual spelling, but… because he used CAPITAL letters at the start of other words, he got 1/2 points taken off each word.
Ok, now I am going to publish this post, and you are going to read my frustration. Please… do feel free to tell me what you think! Maybe I am wrong, and have nothing to complain about. I am totally thrilled that he is spelling 9 out of 10 words correctly, but then I look and see that he now only gets a 60% because of using capital letters (mainly at the start of the word, not the middle), I’m frustrated, I feel as though she is wanting for him to fail.
Oh… wait, forgot to tell you that I met with the new teacher (on accident) before school one day. She told me and my husband right in front of Jaden, that he should repeat the 1st grade. That he is not as mature as the other children in his class, and his spelling is not anywhere near where it should be. She then asked where he went to Kindergarten, and when we told her where he went. She said we should have gone where she was teaching, because her children excelled! Wow, nice.. them somehow help me find a way for my child to excel, cause we are spending 1 1/2 to 2 hours a night on spelling, then we still have math, reading, and regular spelling homework to do, this don’t even count the time that he needs to eat dinner, and go to TaeKwonDo. Ok, bit much but really… I am concerned, I want for him to do well, but I am thinking that beating him down with frown pictures and the word FAIL on his papers are not really going to help him get excited about school work.
So that is going to be my confrontation (conference) time tomorrow! I am so nervous, because it is at 0800 and her day begins at 0815, that doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle time….
Please let me know what you honest opinions are. Maybe I am over reacting because he is my first and only child that is in school right now. Maybe this is what a NORMAL role of parenting and schooling is like. However I hope not…