Recently, while checking my son out of school for our Father / Son lunch, the school Principal spotted me and greeted me with with the words "Hello Stranger". It reminded me that I do not spend as much time at school now that my son in the sixth grade. In the early school years, specifically grades 1 thru 4, we parents communicate with the teachers for our children. In the fifth and sixth grades our kids become more independent and we start prompting them to handle their own business. Although I miss the fun of being involved in my son's school life, it doesn't compare with the pleasure I get watching him grow up.
This got me thinking about all the conversations my son and I have had, in the last year or so, concerning how he should deal with different situations. More specifically, this week the issue was "How to deal with his teacher". With the third quarter report cards getting ready to come out, I believe my son is trying to prepare me for a possible "B" in one of his subjects. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I always expect him to get "A's". At any rate, the other evening he shared with me a problem he was having at school. His problem class this year is reading and even though he scores above his grade level on reading test and keeps up his personal reading assignments, there is something about this class that causes him to struggle to achieve a grade of "A". What he told me was a story about how his teacher doesn't encourage him properly. He said that his teacher has a favorite student, and when her favorite does poorly she says things to him like "You will do better next time", but when he, my son, does poorly she says things like "You messed up". He also said that when the teacher's favorite does well she makes a big deal of it, but when he does well she says things like "You got it right this time".
Now whether you believe his story or not, this is a real situation, and how a parent deals with it has everything to do with the successful development of the child. Rather than tell you what I did, I am going to wait till next week and share some of your thoughts along with mine so that this issue gets the treatment it deserves. So, share your opinion and tell me what you would do in this situation. Next week I will take the best solutions and list them for all to see.