Fav Five Friday Vol…Tuesday?

Hi. My name is Angela and it’s been weeks since I blogged. And yes. I’m aware it’s Tuesday. But really. Why should Fridays get all the awesome #FFF hashtags? Let’s try out some #FFT and see how it goes…mk?

In honor of ah-may-zing parent teacher conferences tonight that I actually made it to by the almost beginning of the second one…

My Fav Five Friday Tuesday edition…Parent/Teacher Conferences

1) I get to find out what name my middle child has chosen to go by this year. It’s awesome. We’ve done Alex, Alexis, Lexi…and this year? It’s Ally. Just in one class though.

I’m looking for her English project in the hallway while we wait and she says, here it is. And I’m like. Um. No. It says Ally. She says well yeah that’s me.
And I’m all whaaa?!?!

And she’s all yeah girl. Ok. Not really. But she explains to me that there was already an Alex and Alexis and “I was not all about being called Alexis S” so I’m Ally.

And I’m all like. Wait. So. You actually remember to answer to Ally? Like. Just in this class?

She does. Because. Well. She’s my child. And awesome.

So I promptly change her name in my phone to “Ally” and she tells me I’m weird. Whatever.

2) OK. Y’all. Let’s go back in time. Like. A couple paragraphs. Where I say. We’re waiting in the hallway. Because, you know, in Jr High there’s no time slots. Just “drop in” for 3 hours or whatever. So. We get to her science classroom and there’s someone with him in the hallway so he takes them in and says he’ll grab us next.

Cool. We aren’t in a hurry. I’m still super excited about how much all her teachers love her so far. Also. We’re discussing important things. Like. Some moms should not wear their clubbing clothes to P/T conferences. J/k. I would never say that. I mean. Like. Out loud or anything. But seriously. Think people.

So we’re hanging in the hallway. And this other mom walks past us. Sitting out in the hallway. Waiting. And goes in ahead of us. Like we aren’t even there.

Whatever. I happen to like hanging out with my kid. So no big deal.

Then after this obviously in a hurry mom finishes, we go in and the teacher is like. I’m so sorry. She just walked right in.

And I’m all it’s cool. We’re good. And he says well. I figured since Alex is never at school she could handle waiting a little while.

And we laugh about her attendance and how awesome she is when she decides to come to school. And how he enjoys her in class and she should show up more.

And we talk about how one day she missed was the whole shot mess and laugh. And I’m like. If I had a cool science teacher I might have liked science too.

No. I wouldn’t have. It’s not my thing. But. Maybe.

So we talk about how awesome and funny she is and he jokes about her having a C but it’s really an A and everything’s good. And we’re leaving and he’s all so. Guess I’ll see you Monday? And Alex says “If I can make it.” And I’m like uh no. We got the 4 day letter already. No more skipping missing school.

Point being. Her science teacher. Def number 2 on the fav P/T conf list.

3) This is sooooo not #3. This is like. #1 times five hundred bajillion.

My kid is so loved at this school. Every teacher. Loves her.

I know. How could they not.

But seriously. They love her. And. The feeling is so mutual.

Her face lights up when they’re talking to each other. These teachers aren’t just teaching my kid. They aren’t just investing their time and knowledge in my kid. They are investing their hearts.

They enjoy her. They see how awesome she is. They see and say she is smart. Kind. Thoughtful. Funny. Caring.

They say it in front of me. Which. As a mom. Is totally awesome. But it’s not important. Because they say it to her.

They are my favorite people in the world. They have no idea how much I worry about my girl and how she sometimes seems to isolate and makes me wonder if I let her be alone with her books too much. If she’s making the right connections with people who will invest in her.

They are invested in her. They cherish her. They tell her.

They are my heroes and heroines.

4) Almost every day when I ask her what she did at school today, the answer is “nothing”.

So I worry. That she isn’t connecting. That she hates school. That she’s bored.

Because I don’t get to see her at school. Where she is so in her element.

Where her face lights up at her teachers when they talk to her.

Where her dimples almost burst from smiling so completely.

Where her sense of humor (which she totally gets from me) is appreciated and reciprocated.

Where the librarian knows her because she’s in the library all the time.

Where she spends her days. Not doing nothing. Never just doing nothing. So the next time she says “nothing” I’ll know. I’ll remember that nothing means she laughed. She learned. She was cared for. She was treasured. Valued. Appreciated.

But never made to feel like a “nothing”.

5) Alex’s grades are awesome.

And this year. This P/T conference.

Was so not about grades.

They were almost an afterthought. Like yeah. Grades are good. (Which, yes, grades are totally important and all, so, yeah.) But. It’s not all there is.

I would rather she got ok grades and get those grades with teachers who connect with her. Invest in her. Tell her how awesome she is. Help to create her inner voice. Specifically praise her unique personality and purposefully brag about her to her.

Grades will get you only so far in life. They’re an indication of how well you retained information. They’re necessary and yay good.

And when I came in towards the end of talking with her first teacher and the grade wasn’t what I expected, I made a comment I shouldn’t have. Immediately regretted. Ultimately apologized to Alex for.

Because tonight I learned that grades do not define my child.

I had to got to hear it from her teachers.

She is bright. Smart. Funny. Kind. Thoughtful. Caring. Doesn’t put up with anything. Loves to read. Has great friends. Is a leader. Beautiful. Her smile lights up my classroom. Generous. There is nothing she can’t do when she decides to.

These things. These words define my child.

They are forming her character. They are planting confidence and self worth in this precious girl.

Also. Her English teacher loves tweeting. And hashtags.

#hashtagsfordays #welovehashtags #notyourmommasjrhigh

Teachers rock. Specifically. Cabot JR High North.

Do something nice for your kids teacher. Just because. Because they do nice things for your kid every day. Most of which you will never hear about.