Tuesday, September 14, 2004

"School's Great!"

Everyone has asked how school is going, so.... GREAT! The boys are loving it. They all have "the best teacher/s". They all have friends in their classes.

Alex told us at dinner last night that his teacher threw a box of tennis balls across the room yesterday. Jeff & I looked horrified.
ME: "Why? Was he angry. Did he throw them at someone?"

ALEX: "No. He just threw them."

JEFF: "But why?"

ALEX: "I don't know. It was funny. Then he threw 'girl in class's' shoes. We were all laughing."

ME: "He threw her shoes? Why?"

ALEX: "It was funny. Can I be excused?"

ME: "Yes."
Jeff & I were left looking baffled. I didn't even know how to discuss this turn of events.

This morning:

ALEX: "...then he dropped a stack spelling books and the noise scared me. It was so funny."

ME: "Funny? Why did he do that? Were people not paying attention?"

ALEX: "No, it was funny. I have to get my backpack."
I don't get it but apparently this guy makes lots of noise, throws things around and this is all very funny to his students.
Tyler is excited because his class is all about working together and helping each other. If they get stuck they are suppose to work with someone else. I asked if he expected to get the answers from the other kids and he said, "No Mooom , you discuss it with someone and get the answers together." Then I asked if he planned on helping other kids. "Yes , There is this boy... I can't remember his name, he doesn't read very good so I helped him today." I must say, a moment of pride.

It's sad the boys have inherited my inability to remember names. I had a great memory (*note the use of had - I lost it permanently around the time of pregnancy #3.) for everything but names. I've tried every trick. All those things the memory gurus tell you to do. None of them work. About 2 minutes after you tell me your name, I've forgotten it. Gone. Completely. I'll remember your face, your kids, any interesting tidbit you told me about yourself, but not your name. Okay, these days the tidbits might escape my memory too unless they are really juicy.

Dylan tells us all about fish, bobbers & worms. This is a complex reward/punishment system I'm not sure I understand. The good news is he earned a prize the first day for getting all his fish "caught". Dylan is a very reward oriented child. Each day he gives us a rundown of fish caught, bobbers earned (bad), almost earned bobbers & worms (very bad I hear).

US: "What else did you do?"

DYLAN: "I almost got a worm."

US: "Yes, but what did you do?"


DYLAN" I got 2 of my fish caught. If they catch all 3, I get a prize."


US: "You told us that. What else? How was the bus?"


DYLAN: "Good. I didn't get any bobbers today."
You can guess how the conversation continued. That's all we know. Fish & bobbers & worms. Not sure if they read or do math. No mention of lunch or recess even. Just fishing stuff.

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