If a student has specific assignments they can still do to make the grade better or specific materials that they need to bring in, I try to write it down for the parent.
As a special education teacher, who doesn't teach an actual class, I don't have as big a group of parents to see as most teachers. And I seem to have a group of parents who aren't keen on coming. In the past i've sent reminder letters and even called to remind parents about conferences. It doesn't help. My first year at fall conferences, no parents came. Last year I had two parents show up.
This year I tried something else, I promised the students and icecream party if they got their parents to come. I had six parents accounting for seven students show. That's still very few, I have a case load of 18. But it is significantly higher than in the past.
I don't feel right about giving a full on party to the group when only seven came. So I think I'm going to give the ones who came gift certificates to the local icecream shop.
At home things are mostly good. Last night we had a blow up. the kids were beyond bitchy. Christopher blew up at the boys after asking them to cut it out. I didn't like how he went about it. I got onto him, and since I was pissed, I didn't convey my meaning well. After going round for an hour, we just hung out in separate rooms for a while.
don't misunderstand, there wasn't a lot of yelling from the adults, just that circular conversation that happens when both parties feel like they are right and they can just talk the other into their point of view. This morning I had to get up and go in to work. The kids had no school, so they slept in.
When I came home at noon for lunch, Christopher was still in bed. We texted with each other later today. He said he feels bad about what happened and that he might stay over night in Parsons, where his class is tonight. Since then he hasn't answered my texts.
I never figured I was jealous. But it seems I am. The teacher of his class has hit on him earlier in the semester. He swears that he has no interest in her that way, he just thinks she's a nice girl. But I still worry. Before we were together he claimed he didn't believe in monogamy. And we fought the other night.
I need to be more secure. But I also wish he'd just send a text when I send him one. When he has something on his mind, he sends multiple texts. Sigh. Its another case of if only everyone just did things my way.
Isaiah is 14. He can get a learner's permit and will be in high school next year. I'm so not ready for that part of his childhood, and so sad that I didn't make the earlier parts of his childhood better. I feel like things are good and stable now and will only get better. It hurts to think that the oldest one missed out.
Gideon is in second grade and has a .6 grade equivalent reading level. He is so wiggly and distracted at school that it is hard to get him to do much. Even when the teacher goes through a worksheet with the class, he looses track about halfway through it. They are having his teachers complete ADD screening surveys. We are having a team meeting in November. If the results come back like I think they will, I'm going to try to have him evaluated at children's mercy or PSU for confirmation and then seek medication.
I know I had Isaiah stop after a few years. In his case he wasn't as severely impaired by his ADD and the meds had him looking emaciated. He could gain weight or sleep and his grades were not better. I talked to the COOP's nurse and she recommended just getting the short term pills and redosing him at mid-day. She said the weight gain issues were more problematic with the time release formulation and that for some kids the time release stuff doesn't even kick in until the school day is almost over.
I wish I were a better mom and partner and teacher. i guess I will settle for blogging and wishing he'd just text me. I need to work on that.
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