Not Much Has Changed

As I was going through a box of old documents and photos, I came across my nursery school report card (yes, that was a thing in 1985), and my kindergarten report card. After careful review of my early academic transcripts, I have come to the following conclusion: Not much has changed. 

First, my nursery school (aka preschool) teacher must have been pretty difficult (dare I say impossible?) to please. From November 1984 to April 1985, I did not earn a single O for Outstanding from the woman. Not even for "I participate in class discussions" or "I enjoy listening to stories." Humph. I beg to differ.

It gets worse, friends. I could only "express my feelings" and "add creative thoughts to discussions" at a satisfactory level, despite a year of Mrs. Parsons's guidance. And, the final nail on the coffin? I have "Needs Improvement" for the following skills -- Skipping, Galloping, and . . . wait for it . . . Tying My Shoes. 

In November of 1984, my teacher noted the following: 

"Denise is a very socially-minded girl. [Oh, really? Is that why I didn't get ANY Outstanding marks under the Social Skills category?] She seems to enjoy school very much. [Doubtful!] Denise has trouble attending to what goes on at circle time.  She interrupts others, sings loudly, acts silly, and lies down." [Listen, Linda. It's not MY fault that your circle time was LAME, and that my peers clearly had nothing of interest to contribute, forcing me to bear the burden alone.]

By April 1985, she had this to say: 

Denise has become a much better listener [Still not OUTSTANDING, I see.] and wants to add to group discussions. [Read: takes over group discussions.] She is a very loving girl and interacts well with other children [Awwww....]. She has progressed well in all areas and needs confirmation for work well done [my emphasis added, due to the stinging accuracy of this statement]. She is blessed with a sense of humor [But, unfortunately, Sense of Humor was not on the rubric.]. I wish her the best in kindergarten." 

Now, I have been a teacher for 15 years. I know what "I wish her the best in kindergarten" means. It means that Mrs. Parsons went straight to the liquor store after work that day and bought herself a bottle of wine to celebrate that she survived teaching me all year.  

As I examined my kindergarten progress report, it became abundantly clear that when Mrs. Parsons stopped to buy that bottle of wine in the April of 1985, she ran into her dear friend Mrs. McCardell and shall we say, vented to her about a particularly chatty, yet funny student with untied shoes and a domineering disposition. Why, you ask? Well. The evidence will speak for itself. 

In the 1985, Mrs. McCardell gave me 3's on the following skills:

* demonstrates appropriate attention span

* works efficiently alone and in groups

* pursues and works through a task independently

* uses time to good advantage

* follows rules of group and school

Before you think this GOOD news, my friends, allow me to explain that a 3 means -- you guessed it! -- Needs Improvement. 

It is perhaps worth mentioning that I received a 1 in "demonstrates self-confidence" and "accepts responsibility for self and behavior." Oh, and by the way, a 1 only means "is competent." Outstanding wasn't even an option. Alas, the short-sightedness. 

In the second conference, Mrs. McCardell noted:

"Denise has the ability to do very well, but is not always a good listener. She often rushes through her work and could take more pride in it. [Ouch!] She must be reminded of the rules often."

By the end of the year --

"Denise continues about the same. [Double ouch!] She needs to listen more and take more pride in her work."

By the skin of my teeth, I was promoted to the first grade. It's a wonder that I ended up holding a bachelor's, a master's, and alllllmost a doctorate in Education, of all things. 

In all seriousness, as I read through these comments, I couldn't help but think of my youngest son, who was asked to (ahem) leave not one, not two, but three preschools. That's a story for another day, but suffice it to say that he would have received a report card quite similar to mine. Now he's in the 5th grade and he's doing just fine. His grades are great; he is polite and respectful. He needed, like I did so many years ago, a chance to grow and mature. 

I titled this post, tongue-in-cheek, "Not Much Has Changed." Hopefully, my early-recognized sense of humor shines through. In all honesty, I would like to formally apologize to both Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. McCardell for rudely interrupting their carefully planned lessons and circle time activities. I also know, as we teachers do, that they most likely didn't mind me at all and couldn't wait to see where life would take me as I had the chance to grow and mature. 

So, in that sense, the title sticks. Teachers still love kids, despite their annoying habits and untied shoes, and see their potential, despite their interruptions and antics. Not much has changed, indeed.