Friday, August 15, 2008

Patience is a Virtue that I don't have.

I am so excited, and I can't hardly hide it....

Aren't you glad this isn't a video blog? Then you would have probably been subject to my bad singing with incorrect lyrics.

Today we finally will find out who Zach's kindergarten teacher is, and everything associated with my bug starting school. Maybe it is just that we had to wait an extra year since his birthday falls just after the deadline, or just the newness of it all.

Yeah, my son has been to preschool for the last couple of years and really this isn't as big of a deal to him. I am not worried that he won't behave or about the big kids picking on him. In fact he will be the big kid since our town has all the kindergarten kids at the same school.

Then there was the teacher selection. It was a lot of pressure as I talked with other moms around the ball field about the upcoming school year. Who are you going to pick for his teacher, they asked. I don't know, we get to pick? was my reply. So I started asking around from the kindergarten veteran moms. They all had suggestions two names topped the list. Oddly enough one that mentioned the most had equal votes hating her and loving her. They all warned me that I needed to be in the registration line early to get in those two classes, because the first ten names for each teacher get into the class they pick and then after that they fit people in.

It felt like a big deal, this is a small town and part of me wonders if I get him into these two popular teachers classes, if that will set the tone for the rest of his school life. Like any town, but especially a small town the pecking order starts early. One day I cornered one gal, who was wildly popular in school and married to one of the hunkiest guys in school, is so very down to earth and helpful. She is a teacher and could give me the lowdown about teaching styles. After talking to her my husband and I narrowed the list down the to the three teachers we would request on our registration. The two most popular teachers weren't even on my list.

One I picked because her name came up often as a great teacher and her husband is a rancher and she tends to have a cowboy theme in class and even takes the kids on a trip to the ranch. Right up Zach's alley. Another is the protege of my kindergarten teacher whom I loved, and think would be a great fit for Zach. The last is a lady from my church, whom whenever we working the nursery or anything together, always impresses me with her skills with little kids.

Unluckily I was in Nashville that day. So I sent hubby in my stead. I called him to see how it was going and wouldn't you know he had forgot but he got down there right away. Whew, disaster avoided. He could have ruined our child's whole school career right there.

A couple of weeks later we got to go on a tour of the building. Each class is a certain kind of animal. Kangaroo, skunk, bears, bees, etc. Zach wants to be a turtle, because blue and green are his favorite colors. The turtle teacher wasn't on our list, I told him I didn't know if he would get in that class or not. MOM! my teacher (at preschool) told me you get to pick, I want to be a turtle!

That was way back in April. Since then this is the mommy talk I hear everywhere we go, So who's class is he in? I don't know, do you know who your kid has, I would frantically reply, wondering how they know. What did I miss?!? No they would admit, they didn't know they were wondering too. At a birthday party this summer I cornered a kindergarten teacher, and grilled her for info, when do we find out what is going on???? She told me we would know the Friday before school starts we would have an orientation. No letters in the mail, I have been impatient for this day to come ever since. Four long months, but today is the day. While Zach is excited, I think I am the one who cannot wait until 1:00.

**Update** is in the comments

11 comments:

Elizabeth said...

If this were a video blog would you have been bouncing in your chair?! LOL

I can't believe you guys get to pick your teachers?! Too cool! But... wouldn't you hate being the teacher who nobody wants?

Best of luck today! :)

Anonymous said...

I thought you were probably bouncing up and down too. :)

Enjoy your afternoon!!!

Damselfly said...

I hope Zach gets to be a turtle!

giggles said...

No matter who he gets I hope he ends up loving them!
Let us know....
Giggles

Katy said...

I'm just going to weigh in and say that this kind of business is NOT my thing. It sounds to me as if they are actually creating good and bad teachers. The "bad" teachers won't get selected and then they'll get all the kids whose parents aren't in the know or who have to work or whatever. Ugh. I can't believe the district gets away with that.

End Rant.

I hope Zach gets someone wonderful and caring.

White Hot Magik said...

@bird. I can certainly see why the selection is a problem. I was trying to point how I kind of succummed to peer pressure, meaning I made selections. I didn't totally bow by trying to get into the popular teachers classes and selecting who I thought would fit my child.

*update* We got one of our choices, the one who called my Kindergarten teacher my mentor. Zach is a cheetah. Oh and I got to see my kindergarten teacher, she is retired now but going to fill in for a teacher on maternity leave. Now I am all paranoid about letting my baby ride the bus. My husband is ready to give me chill pills.

t i m said...

If I had the choice to pick my teachers in my younger days I'd definitely have chosen Ms D... sorry I was just daydreaming there, my bad. :)

PS: There's no reason why this place can't also be home to the occasional video blog... ;)

Dory said...

Bless your heart! How stressful huh? I'm so happy that you are pleased with the way things turned out!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness! That sounds exciting and stressful. We don't get to choose at all. The kids actually don't even get assigned a teacher until they have attended 3 or 4 days.

The kids get split into groups and the teachers all work with the different groups. Then they decide together what kids should go where.

It seems to work pretty good.

Fabiola said...

Nora!!!

You will do just fine, but this post just brought a smile to my face.

Fabiola

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciated hearing from you.

I totally understand about the kindergarten thing. I only have one youngster left - The Short Dude - and he'll be entering pre-school this year. Since he's never really been to anything with other adults/kids like this, I'm a bit worried.

And my 2nd grader is going to public school for the first time. We've been homeschooling for 5 years so it'll be a big transition for her. The older 2 went back last year.

We have orientation for The Teenager and The Short Dude this week. I think I'm more nervous than them. ;-)

~ Annie