Today I asked a kid to get his parents in for an interview. I have taught this young man for 3 years. He is the only student I have ever taught for three years in a row. It has been a pleasure to teach him. I have never requested an interview with his parents. I have never felt any need to see them. He has usually worked well, behaved well and been caring and compassionate with other students. I realised today, this would be the final parent-teacher interviews I would have a chance to meet them. I really want to tell them face to face, what a wonderful job they have done with their son.
Positive Calls
Our principal asked us last year to make a positive phone call home. She suggested that instead of focusing on negative behaviour and phoning parents to let them know what the child was doing wrong, that we chose someone who was doing the right thing and phoned the parents and let them know their child was doing great. I took the challenge and phoned a parent of a kid I’d been quite impressed with that week. The parent was delighted and the kid was my friend for life. I still get a huge smile every time I see him, he’s left our school now.
Good Intentions
After that experience, I thought I ought to do it once a week. It made me feel so good as well. I haven’t done it since though. I’m setting an intention to make at least one of those calls this week before school finishes. I hope that those parents do visit me at parent teacher interviews too!
Recapping My Weekend
Pa
Pa is back in hospital again. He turned 87 on the 8th. I haven’t been able to see him for a week because I had the flu again and didn’t want to expose him to it. I am worried about him.
Lovely Saturday Afternoon Visit
Visited Andy’s mum on Saturday afternoon. She’s had a delightful renovation done on her back veranda. I am very impressed. White rooms, floor, ceiling, walls, big windows, white mermot blinds and gorgeous red leather couches and mats. I should have taken a photo. That room was appealing. I had a divine and tasty lunch and was fed so well it brought back my nana’s cooking.
Saturday Night Taxi Service
My good friend Rhonda and I put their theatre room to good use whilst spending the time between depositing the young people at their parties and returning to get them home. We watched ‘Thank You for Smoking’. Possibly not a great choice for my quitting phase, yet it didn’t do too much damage.
Housework – Bare Minimum
Enough said. Changed the sheets, a touch of vacuuming – blah.
Reading
I started ‘Boys of Blood and Bone’ by David Metzenthen this weekend. I have a pile of good books again and I feel really good about that. When I had the flu, it came when my pile of books had been down to the last unread one. It was kind of scary. When I went to work/school on Friday, I ensured I visited the library and restocked my pile. I have one from the CBCA Awards list – an Elizabeth Honey, one of my favourites as well as the James Moloney sequel to ‘The Book of Lies’, ‘Master of the Books’. It’s helping with the pain of finishing Harry Potter.
Now I will go to bed early and read!
Being Bee by Catherine Bateson
Catherine Bateson
I have enjoyed many of Catherine Bateson’s novels. My favourite was ‘Painted Love Letters
‘Being Bee
This latest novel tackles the stepmother and tells a tale of a father and daughter team including a new woman in the house. It has been shortlisted for the CBCA Awards 2007 for Younger Readers. It replaces the stereotypical wicked stepmother with a new type of stepmother who is flawed and annoying yet gradually appreciated. It was an enjoyable light read.