Ricky missed a couple of days of school last week. He was sick. And dramatic. But that’s another post for another day.
He was concerned about his homework. I was able to slip over to his school just after classes got out on Friday and pick up his work. I also got to gab with his teacher for several minutes. It was enlightening.
She told me several things about Ricky. She called him darling. She commented on how many emotions his face can show … all at once! She told me how wowed she was with his reading. Ricky has only finished 2 of the 3 assessment tests so far, but on the one that tells their reading level it showed him as reading on a fourth grade level. The other test was for fluency. The goal is for first graders to score 60 by the end of the year. Ricky was at 80.
Then she told me a few of her experiences with my boy. For the students to go out to recess, they have to finish their work. One day Ricky didn’t have his ready and when she told him he couldn’t go out yet, she said, “…his face! He just … his face.” She went on to tell me that all these emotions were flashing on his face. She asked if Ricky was “going to cry? There is no crying in first grade, you know.” Ricky then informed her, “Oh, this isn’t my crying face.”
Another story she shared happened after she had given the class some directions. She wandered around the room to observe the students working and as she passed Ricky, she had to say, “Ricky, remember the directions, please.” The teacher did a lap around the room and passed Ricky again. He still was doing his own thing, so she said, “Ricky, you need to follow the directions.” Ricky looked up at her and said, “My ears aren’t on today.”
Oh, my boy! How I love you!