Thursday, March 3, 2011

My kid gets pink slips....a lot.

"So what I told you was true...from a certain point of view"
~Obi Wan Kenobi

Yesterday, I spent 13 hours driving to, sitting in, and driving home from a training class.  It was a long day to say the least.  I was about half way home, singing to the radio and trying to enjoy the commute when the phone rang and I heard the Hubs' voice through the car speakers.  His first words, "Cam got another pink slip today."  Me:  "WHAT?  ANOTHER ONE?"  Yes, that makes two in a row this week.  Me:   "FOR.THE.LOVE.  For What?"  For stepping out of line and shutting the door to the closet while the teacher was inside of it (I'm guessing half of you will ::gasp:: and half of you will ::snicker::)

Here's the problem:  My kid is guilty of not always making the best choices.  She doesn't think of consequences before she acts.  I'm not making excuses for her, I recognize that it's an issue and I'm hoping as she matures it'll lock in to place for her.  But, if my kid is going to get a pink slip every time she makes a poor choice or doesn't follow directions, then I might as well buy the school a ream of pink paper, because they are going to run out! 

Isn't this what preschoolers do?  Is my child the only one getting written up for stepping out of line?  Is she the only one that gets written up for poor choices?  Historically, pink slips are used for incidents when a child hurts another child, kicks, hits, bites, or suffers some sort of injury.  In this instance, the injury was to the teacher.  Was she so upset she wrote her up?  Was she embarrassed that Cam shut her in the closet?  Did the other children laugh and wound her ego?  I really don't know but I'm tired of signing those pink sheets of paper.  I'm tired of having "the talk" with Cam about poor choices.  I'm tired of a school that is so rigid and strict with its policies that it leaves little room for children to behave like children.  I'm tired of the overwhelming feeling that my kid is perceived as "the bad kid." 

Thankfully, this is the only year that Cam has had a less than a positive experience at our school.  For whatever reason, she is not gelling with her teacher, or her class, and the result is that she's taken several steps backwards socially, but has soared academically.

For those of you that are Faithful Readers you may remember this post about the drama with classroom assignments for this year or this one on how orientation went..  As I read back, I find my intuition to be almost eerie....this year has turned out to be exactly the way I hoped it wouldn't.  As positive as I try to be, as much as I wished things would pull together this year, I realize that it's not going to happen. 

I really don't think it's going to get better, we are just going to get through it.  So, while I hate to wish time away, while I hate to look forward to the next step, I am...just like I predicted in August. 

Kindergarten has to bring better things for my bright, energetic, little girl, who absolutely bubbles over with excitement and curiosity.  School life for her (as much as she absolutely loves it) has to get better than this.  She needs to be engaged more, challenged more, praised more for good deeds, she needs a teacher with endless patience and a more credentials.  I am wishing on a star that Kindergarten brings her that.

This rant isn't the way things usually go around here, but this situation has caused me astronomical amounts of stress this year...It finally deserved a spot here, in my online memoir.  My hope is that next year, I'll look back at this and wonder why in the world it had to be so difficult...

In better news, I've been working with Camdyn on a computer based Learn to Read program.  She beams when she gets answers right.  I think it's really wonderful for her self esteem as well as her listening skills.    Well, last night, during story time she read her first word...G-O, GO!  ::Head explode::


4 comments:

Rochelle@AFamilyofLooneys said...

Camdyn is just being a kid. Her teacher need to lighten up. It gets to me sometimes how a teacher can really encourage a child or she can not really interact with one. I would think being a preschool teacher that she would really interact with her students and realize when kids are just being kids.
My daughter loves kindergarten. I bet Camdyn will love it too.
One of the programs that my girl loves to play is http://www.starfall.com/
It is a program that helps them read with phonics. It has really helped with my girl.

Unknown said...

Awww, congrats on her reading. If it makes you feel any better KLV has unofficially been given 'the most difficult' at the DR office. (i'm drafting a post for that one). In regards to your specific post - mother's intuition is almost always 100% and Cam will find her place again.

Jennifer said...

I am just in awe that your Pre'K is giving 'pink slips' in the first place!! Pink slips used to be given in junior and senior high when you did something bad, not in preschool. I think you need to go and have a little talk with the teachers. If they really understood, they would see where Cam needs help and try to teach, praise and have a little more patience. The sad part is that Kindergarten is not the same anymore either. It is real work! I think that kids are not allowed to be kids anymore and there is way to much pressure on them...and us!! Continue to work with her and praise her....and as she matures, I am sure she will be okay :)

LeeAnn said...

I think it is ridiculous that Cam got a "pink slip" for that. Sheesh. She is just being a kid. It does sound like she is trying to get attention, and maybe that stems from this not-so-great relationship she has with her teacher. I'm so sorry that you and Cam are going through this. I know you don't want to fast forward time really, but she only has a few months left and it will be over soon. In the meantime, don't sweat the pink slips. Talk to Cam about the ones YOU feel are important and ignore the rest. It's not like they will be on her college transcripts or anything. :-)

I'm sending you an email. I need HELP! with something, and being the great writer you are, you are perfect for this.

Have a great weekend!