From the mind of a parent, translated…
The first time I was called to my son’s school for a parent-teacher conference, it was in his high school year, after the classroom teacher did her introductions, she’d suggested that the parents who showed up, to exchange some thoughts.
He believed, that in adolescence, the children are more influenced by their peers, more so than their school teachers, suggested that we, the parents set up our contacts and connections with one another, so we can have the social supports we may need that might come later on.
The primary classroom instructor had prepared the emergency contact information for the students and the parents, and set up the name plates on the students’ seats. They were, drawn by our own children, and, each one was different, some had just the names; some with embellishing decorations, with the drawings; others looked like greeting cards, with the simple well-wishes written. The instructor told us that we could take these name plate back home as a memorabilia if we’d wanted.
After taking turns sharing, I’d gotten a chance to understand my own son from someone else, and I’d gotten acquainted with my son’s friends’ families as well. The parents started opening up about how they’d gotten along from a day to day basis with their own young, and, it’s sparked this feeling of empathy between us all; I believe this to be a very good interaction experience, although hearing complaints are normal,, but at least, it’d reminded us as parents, to not overly react, or to ignore what was happening in our children’s lives. After all, as parents, we’d all wanted to, give the best kind of accompaniment to the children as they age.
There was a parent who told me, with a lot of gratitude, “Thanks to your son, for showing so much care and concern to my child……” as I started in conversation with this mother before me, I’d recalled how my son told me, very shortly after school started, that there was a classmate who’d made random noises with Asperger’s.
At first, my son felt awkward for why his classmate behaved like so, but, after the primary instructor had openly discussed the student’s conditions, as asked someone to help him out, my son volunteered, to take care of his classmate. And so, my son slowly became the rare few other kids in the class who can communicate with him.
I’d also heard other parents told of how my son demonstrated the right way to mop the floors, and the keys to effectively recycle the various items, and I’d met the parents of the female classmate who’d tutored my son English, talked with him on how he’d started his daughter off on learning English.
That day, I was very moved. I thought, that everything would be happening by a ritualistic manner, but, with the careful planning of my son’s primary classroom instructor, it’d given us, the parents, the opportunities, to get to know our own, and other people’s children as well.
And so, it’s all due to the careful thought of this instructor, who’d held the parent-teacher day, and, the parents learned about their own children, from other parents, and, the other parents learned about the actions of the classmates from their own young, and, they’d become more tightly knitted, like a big family after this experience I’m sure.
nope, still NOT my artwork!
Life, the Obstacle Course 