Entering the school world

I always wondered what it would be like when my kids got to school age.  Would I be the mother who was in tears the first day?  Would I be the mother who drops her child off at the gate and never steps into the classroom?  What would the teachers be like? Would they welcome parent help? Would they be nice to my precious children? How would they know that Jaimee can't cross her legs because she had hip surgery? Would they remember to tell her when routines change drastically so she doesn't freak out?  Would the kids bully her? Would she make a friend?  What if someone teases her?

.....As you can probably guess, It turns out that I am THAT mother...

Yep, the one who walks her child into the class every day by the hand and helps her pop her things in her locker.  The one who waits and talks to the teacher daily before and after school.  The one who loves to help in the classroom every week (I actually TOLD the teacher when I would be helping rather then wait to be asked),  The one who asks about extra homework challenges and ways to teach concepts at home.  Pretty much a teachers worst nightmare probably!!!

I think the problem stems from being a trained early childhood teacher.  We are taught, and we practice, the importance of parent-teacher communication and partnership.  Of course, with a baby, this is super important - the child can't tell us if they slept well last night or didn't eat their breakfast.  We NEED to talk to the parents constantly, and they need us to tell them about their child's day for the same reason.  So when Jaimee started school, I quickly realised that this is NOT the case in a school world.  The teachers don't have the time (or expectation) to talk to parents for 10 minutes every day about their little darling child.  In fact, after helping in the classroom, I realise that the teachers are lucky to get 10 minutes with each child individually - let alone the parents!  So I am slowly adjusting to this different approach to 'teaching'..one that is worlds apart from my experience as a teacher, and its been a bit of a learning curve for me.

Jaimee's teacher is adjusting to me too...poor lady probably didn't know what hit her when she landed me as a parent.  Jaimee is in a very small school of only 6 classrooms and 140 kids (Y1-8).  It is lovely.  All the staff know Jaimee by name...her favourite staff member is the lovely office man who always has the time to talk to her!  All the staff know me too of course.  I am sure you can just picture me sitting in the staff room having a coffee and gleaning loads of information about everything!  The other parents have figured me out, they all come to me if they need to know something that is happening.

So yes....I am THAT mum.  The one who is very involved, perhaps too much so....but hey, thats me.
And Jaimee LOVES it when I help, the teacher told me today that she thinks I am a marvellous mother and teacher...and the principal has asked me to talk to the board about recommendations I have.  So I will embrace this new emerging 'school mum syndrome' and run with it gleefully.  To many school years to come....and just you wait for my first parent/teacher interview....