A Real Teacher!

So last night was Curriculum Night in my daughter's 4th grade class.   She attends the same elementary school where I teach.  It is a BIG school with over 900 students.  I was nervous this year about her moving to 4th grade because for once I did not really know the teachers.  I knew their names but when you work in a place with that many students and that many teachers it is hard to get to know everyone.

Lily, my daughter, has been floating on cloud nine since the first day of school so I new she was loving school and she has had wonderful teachers in the past but this year was different.  You see...my Lily Kay is very hard on herself.  Her New Year's Eve resolution in 2nd grade was to be perfect.  She struggles with disappointing herself.  As much as we try to reinforce life is not about being perfect-she still strives to achieve it.  (I know it sounds like a good thing but watching your little girl SOB because she missed one on a spelling test or struck out in softball is heart breaking.)

Well, last night I meet the reason for my child's love of life right now and her name is Mrs. Newman.  She is a teacher from her head to her toes.  As I sat and listened to her I could feel the energy that she gives off and her love for teaching was everywhere in that classroom.  Her words were inspiring for me as a teacher.  She had all of the parents take a minute to introduce themselves to each other stressing that we are a team and we need to get to know each other.  She shared about her life as a mother and grandmother.  She stressed that she has been in our shoes and she understands.

Mrs. Newman told us that Homework is a behavior and not a grade!  I love this idea.  Homework is about practice and teaching responsibility.  She told us to relax about it.  To make it important but if our children struggle we are to not FREAK out about it.  Just send her a note and she would take care of it with our child at school.  She stressed that READING and a LOVE for it is the most important thing right now.  She talked about behavior like it did not exist except in a good way.  Children want to behave and learn.  She reinforces ALL positives to rid the classroom of negatives.

I tell ya...I wanted to get up and hug the women.  The Schroeder Family is Blessed beyond belief this year.  I can already see a change in Lily's confidence and her love of reading. 

I sure hope all of you with little ones are on the same path that we are...when I grow up I want to be just like Mrs. Newman!