teacher trouble or problem parent?

Today B's school had a P1 'Open Day' today. Actually, an Open Half Hour. Arranged for parents to come into the class with the children and for the children to show us around their workbooks and the classroom and the walls to see all the different activities they do and what they have been learning.

I also assumed this would be an opportunity to grab a few minutes with the teacher. Given B's new teacher is only 4 weeks into the job (after his original one went off on maternity leave), and because we haven't had a proper parents 1:1 since September, I thought this would also be an opportune moment (and the only chance we've had) to meet the new teacher and see how B is settling in with her.

B seems to like her, although the transition to the new teacher I think was difficult for him, understandably. And he has a little pal whom she used to teach in her previous school and reports from him were positive (or as positive as a 6 yr old can give).

So am I over-analysing or being overly sensitive to be slightly peeved that, on approaching the teacher during the Open 'Day' (there was no attempt from her to approach us) and asking generally about B, her first comment was "why, do you have a problem?" Why does she automatically assume there is a problem? Am I not entitled, as an interested parent, not to mention a council tax payer, to enquire as to my son's progress in school without the assumption that I am a difficult parent? This is only my second interaction with this new teacher, the first being equally defensive from her (in my opinion), and so I am not feeling entirely at ease right now.

And when she suggested that maybe she should have had a 'meet the parents/teacher' session when she first started, I had to bite my tongue as I had assumed this would happen but never did. Again, am I being too demanding of B's school/teacher? Is there no time for such 'luxuries' in today's curriculum for 'meet the teacher' opportunities?

I know in a few years time I will look back and wonder what I was getting my knickers in a twist about P1 for as there will be far more challenging times ahead I'm sure, but at the moment this feels important to me.

Silent Sunday

Reasons to be Cheerful Week 8

I feel I need some positivity courtesy of Reasons to be Cheerful, as I'm not feeling particularly positive at the moment. I am heading inexorably towards a huge black financial hole and I'm really starting to panic. Sometimes I feel like I could be doing more to better the situation, but my confidence feels completely shot again and it is holding me back. Most times, I feel helpless to improve this situation, which makes me incredibly frustrated. To make things worse this week, a good friend has had a close family bereavement.

So I think I need an injection of positivity. Here's why I should be cheerful this week:
1. I'm going out on a rare night out with some ex-colleagues tomorrow evening, which should include a few drinks, lots of laughs and some questionable singing at karaoke. Lookin' forward to it!

2. I am really enjoying my writing class, now half way through the ten week course. It's been really interesting and a great way to stir the creative juices and get some ideas flowing.

3. I have had really bad back and neck problems the last few months, and after a first visit to an osteopath last week, I definitely feel areas have improved. My neck and back are still bothering me, but at least now I know where I can go for some relief.

4. I got an offer the other day from the project I volunteer with, to do a one off assignment, something which I've never done before and will be brilliant experience. They could have asked lots of other volunteers to do it but they asked me, and it will be a great opportunity if it comes off.

5. This may be scraping the barrel, but there's a couple of TV programmes I like just about to start back up again which bizarrely makes me happy! Wot a saddo!

That's about it for now, I should re-read this a few times to brighten my mood.

Hop on over to Mummy from the Heart to see more Reasons to be Cheerful or blog-hop below.

The Gallery - Landscapes

This week's The Gallery over at Sticky Fingers was a tough one to choose which landscape to post. I did think about showing off Edinburgh (where I live just now) in all its glory, as I have plenty of shots to choose from, but I kinda have done that in other posts. I then trawled through some more 'exotic' shots of holidays (and when I say exotic, I mean European...), but they all felt a bit 'postcard-y', I wanted to find something a bit different.

So I have plumped for somewhere inbetween. These shots were taken on a rocky beach in Northumberland. It was B and I's first holiday away together on our own last year, and we had a fab few days. I would definitely go back there.

We stumbled upon lots of these strange stone structures which were dotted about all over the rocks. There were built purely by balancing stones on top of each other. It felt as if we were being challenged to stop and see what sort of structure we could build. 

Our effort, in the shot below, in the foreground. It may not have been the tallest or most elaborate of stone towers, but we put a little shell hat on it so we like it!

Blog-hop on over to Sticky Fingers to see some other amazing landscapes.

I need a translator over here!

On the way home from afterschool today I asked B the usual questions about what he did at school today. After the obligatory "can't remember"/"don't know" responses, he did finally tell me they had a special assembly because it was Pancake Day.

image credit: bbcgoodfood.com

 So, I asked, what did you learn about in the assembly about Pancake Day? How to make pancakes? Why Pancake Day exists? No, he says, and he then launched into an intruiging story which I am still trying to decipher...

B: "Well, there was a new man there"

Me: "A new teacher?"

B: "No, well maybe he was, but he wasn't Mrs H* and he wasn't Mrs J* and he wasn't Mrs M* so I don't think he was a teacher" (*names have been withheld to protect the innocent...)

Me: "There are other teachers in the school other than P1 teachers, so maybe he was a teacher?"

B: "Mmmm... *thinks for a few moments* I haven't seen him before in my class...but he told us a story about a man going to see Jesus (pronounced cheese-uss...) and the man climbed up a tree."

Me: "Why did he climb up a tree?"

B: "To see Cheese-us, silly! Cheese-us came up to the tree and he was up to there! *points up to his chest level* on the man, and then the man went with Cheese-us to his house for his tea, but he wasn't ready yet."

Me: "Wasn't ready for what?"

B: "Wasn't ready to go for his tea".

Me: "And then what happened?"

B: "um, the end."

Ideas, anyone?! I'm guessing some sort of Lent/Shrove Tuesday story, but I am none the wiser.

Perhaps that says more about my knowledge of the bible than it does about B's ability to recount the story... but it was a very enjoyable story nonetheless!

Oo, I could fair go a pancake right about now...