Parent-Teacher Meetings and Class Rep Musings

As a parent, I look forward to meeting the teachers. So much so that the few days leading to the meetings saw me throwing the kids dirty *you-watch-out* looks every now and then. This was reminiscent of those days when Yours Truly was a kid herself and often ended up being punished after her dear mother (don't start getting upset, mom) had met her teachers.

Eldest Son apparently told some of his teachers that his last day on earth was round the corner. But times have changed. Teachers nowadays are incarnations of zen, goodwill and positive thinking. They do not usually tell you anything that'll want to make you punish your child(ren). Not that I want to punish my children, of course. I know that I have the reputation of being a very hard mother, but I'm also a very indulgent one. I swing both ways - like most scorpions do.

I had great interviews with all of the teachers. The meetings were well organised. Baby Boy has this sweet, feminine English Rose teacher who had only good things to say of the boy. He works well, is attentive, obedient, interested in what's going on around him, is popular with the rest of the children, has an enquiring mind and displays leadership qualities. But of course he's also a very short-tempered and impatient child and will need to work on acquiring more patience.

I have mentioned at the beginning of the year that Baby Girl's new teacher seemed nice and competent and so she is. On top of that, she's cute. In just a few weeks the girl is really progressing in her reading and is really keen to work all the time on her letters and pronunciation. She is a perfectionist and is good at listening and observing. As usual she needs to overcome her shyness and lack of confidence in order to take risks and do better - which is why I'm more or less leaving her to work with her loving doting father and not be tempted to scream at her. (Why? Because my niece who's 6 months younger can read, write and count in 2 languages for a few months already and I'm trying hard not to compare.) So, if this continues, I have hope that Baby Girl'll be able to start reading, writing etc before the school year is out.

Every time I bump into the kids' Italian teacher, she would wax lyrical about them. I told her that she mustn't have gotten the right kids, but she was very insistent about it. Was told that Eldest Son had great ideas and was making good progress in the language. I must admit that I was a little floored when I asked her why his conjugations in Italian were inexistent - and she answered that that was because he hadn't been taught them yet. And we've been accusing him of lying to us about it! Oops.

Eldest Son has been diagnosed with Dyspraxia when he was last in Singapore and his teachers have been very kind about it, trying their best to make sure that he gets help in understanding questions, instructions and directives. He needs help in order to be less easily distracted and he has difficulty organising himself - otherwise, he has no problems with learning and can do just as well if not better than most of his peers.

I've had a few issues about the type of homework that he'd been given in the last few weeks that I've aired with the teachers concerned. As usual they have been receptive and have tried to explain their working rationale. Like everyone else, I have my own philosophy and experience(s) where education is concerned, so while I may not always see eye to eye with the school they know that I do appreciate the exchange(s) and am looking forward to achieving greater understanding of their programme.

Time, as we know, flies. We've already reached half term! The kids are on a short break next week and I must say that I appreciate the school calendar giving them short breaks here and there. Eldest Son, malgré lui, has been working hard and will need to have some play time.

Myself, now that I am a Class Rep, have to give some thought to my new role. As far as I know, I am there to organise opportunities for the mothers to meet up, exchange, socialise. They may eventually have questions, concerns, opinions related or not to their children and the group will be there to help in some way, but most of all, provide a listening ear. Because individual problems are otherwise best addressed individually with the school as we all know.

Exchange and debate, agreeing to disagree contribute to a certain transparency. Expat mothers do not spend their days shopping, and while some cultures advocate sipping tea and just making polite gossip correct behaviour, others accept and even encourage dissent and debate. We are in an international setting, we have different ways of dealing with or looking at the same things, and so be it.

More importantly, whatever has been discussed will not leave my meetings if I can help it. Someone from the PTA is around to help mediate if necessary and if the group should wish to make a collective request (nothing personal though) to the school, then myself or the PTA can transmit it.

I've learnt that in a group setting (unless it's too uniform - not our case), group dynamics are made in such a way that there are always people who will agree or disagree with one another so somehow things will even out in their own way. So the freer the discussion, the fairer it would usually be. Truths and untruths will sort themselves out. Just keep an open mind and do not be aggressive. The Chinese say that criticism is a caress. I complain about the Hub (just as I would praise him) but it doesn't mean that I do not love him. And he is confident enough about himself not to worry about it.

Having said all that, my 1st group meeting was all friendly conversation and an encouraging start. I am working out what we should do and eat in our coming one. How about Japanese?