How to insure your child thrives and other tales of success...

This is an early picture of my garden at the beginning stage. This garden faced: weeds, exposure to winds,poor soil, lack of warmth.

Some things I could ameliorate; some things I had to accept.

I could build up the soil structure, add tarp to retain warmth, add fertilizing material to
encourage growth, add bio- variety to prevent insects from invading, and construct a wind barrier to minimize damage.

I had to accept that winds by the Ocean are often too harsh and too frequent, and my barrier would have to be of such force and durability to withstand hurricane force gusts even during the sunny months.

I had to accept that my soil is sand. Not just sandy, but all sand. Any plant material I add will take centuries to build up to an optimum level. I have to be patient and resourceful with what I plant, what I harvest to consume, what I compost for future soil build-up.

In educating our children, teachers basically make the same decisions. They begin by assessing the potential and needs of the youngsters. They look at the materials, time and resources available. They structure the classroom to keep time-on-task uninterrupted. They build structures to keep the winds of distraction at bay: rules, procedures, routines. They assign tasks and homework based on the capacity of the class to achieve pre-determined goals.

Much of the work in education is done by parents before the child arrives at school. You prepared the soil way in advance. You instilled love of learning as well as habits of mind. You taught rules and respect and fair play. The teacher is just planting this year's crop of concepts, skills and vocabulary.

If any amelioration needs to occur, you as a parent will be the first to notice and to point out. You will partner with the teacher and get the job done. Those barriers to keep the winds out are not built by one person. They are built by teams of dedicated workers supporting and respecting each other.

Your child will succeed not because the teacher likes him-though this element is most important- not because the homework is easy, or the materials are all available, but because he/she has become passionate about something beyond his/her capacity, something that is hard and important, something that makes him/her feel strong and important.

Both you and the teacher can take pride in his/her growth and achievements.

The harvest/results will not be visible for a long time. You are building a cathedral together.

Before school starts: helpful hints.

Thank you Tessa: http://anarealarmadillo.blogspot.com/
I'm not sure I thanked Tessa at Anarealarmadillo for this wonderful award. If you do not know her, please hop along and visit her. There is a lot to learn about reaching out from the wonderful Tessa. And today, with schools starting in many places, we all need to reach out and help each other through.

This week, I wanted to reach out to all you mothers and fathers of school-age children.

School opens for many early in September; for some it has already open. Parents are probably concerned about lots of things when their youngsters start a new term. And this is a good time to share with you some little known nuggets of information.

1. Schools run on a very tight schedule and an even tighter budget. They deal with hundreds of children, hundreds of parents, and hundreds of employees. They are in a business run on precise schedules and even more precise rules. Do not bother them with silly questions during the busiest time of their year. Unless you want to be on their "watch these folks" list.

2.Your child is one of many. His/her welfare is important; his happiness is important; but not as important as you think. What is most important is that things run smoothly, everything and everyone in the appropriate place, and that your child knows how not to tip this delicate scale.

3. Follow the instructions sent to you regarding schedules, supplies, contacts, emergency numbers, etc. Schools do not like sending home stuff either. But, they do not have time to call you individually and remind you of these things. You may think that they should have all this information in their files/computers. They may not. So, for your child's welfare, send the information, follow the schedule, buy the right supplies, and do not call the school to find out information you have in your packets!

4. Schools have to survive with fewer resources every year. If they ask for volunteers to help, they need conscientious helpers. You might ask yourself what the heck are you paying taxes for, when you get all these requests to volunteer, to fundraise, to donate money and merchandise. Without volunteers, lots of events and opportunities for children would not take place.

5. Wait and see how your child is doing. If he/she tells you that he hates his classes, his seat mate, his lunch schedule, whatever he/she dislikes can wait to be discussed back at school. Your child needs to handle his/her discomfort. Ask what he can do to alleviate the problem. Yes. Not what the school can do to move him to another class, but what your child can do to tolerate the discomfort. Why? Because, in life, he will encounter many discomforts that he needs to handle. If mommy or school solves his problems, how will he learn? You can jump on me on this one. This one is tough.

I'm stopping here. You can gather your thoughts and vent back at me if you wish.