Isaac's Parent Teacher Conference

Well, I decided to write down how my PT conf. with Isaac's teacher Mrs. Duke went, because I don't want to forget what he was like and all the funny things he does. Mrs. Duke has a few (a-hem) issues with Isaac. I knew most of them before because I spend a lot of time in the classroom with him. I don't mean to be hard on him. These are, after all, the reasons I love him.

1. He is very, very, very, very ssssllllooooowwww. Anyone who knows Isaac at all knows this and is probably laughing right now. For me this has always been a minor annoyance. After all, my dad is the slowest man on the face of the planet. He eats slow, drives slow, walks slow...you name it. It's funny that Isaac's middle name is Harvey, after my dad. Mrs. Duke said Isaac often needs to be reminded of time restraints and time passage to get his work done. This is true, as I have seen in class, he often cannot go out to recess because he needs to finish his classwork.

2. He lacks focus. Really? Isaac? Again, this is not a big surprise. The kid cannot focus on a project for more than a few seconds. He is usually occupied with something going on his little imagination. School work is the last thing on his mind, and it shows while he's in class. Seriously, I have to remind him a hundred times to keep going on his work, or he will literally stare off into space for hours.

3. He still doesn't know his letters. Well, this WAS true, but he has since learned most of them by sight. However, for the longest time he thought L, M, N, O, and P were the same letter. You know, LMNOP. You gotta give it to him, it does sound like an entire letter in the alphabet song. So we had to work with him on that! He still has trouble with M and W, but let's face it, they do look similar.

4. His numbers are always missing 13, 15, and 17. Mrs. Duke said this is normal as they call them the "terrible, tough teens." I worked on those with him and he knows them now, but has to slow down to say them and not miss any. Funny thing, he could count backwards from 30 and not miss any. Maybe he's dyslexic....!

So these are the major concerns. But I have to give it to him. Since I figured out these problems, he has done much better and has learned them and done better within a few days. I don't know how that happened. Mrs. Duke says his biggest problem is his maturity level and that he may need to be held back but wouldn't say for sure. She thinks most likely not, but we are prepared for anything. I don't want him to be so far behind that he is always struggling. His fine motor functions are a bit slow too, but most boys are. He has been behind since the outset so I'm not worried. I just want his happiness and it is clear to me that he is indeed happy.

Some funny stories Mrs. Duke had about Isaac:

They always know when Isaac has gone to the bathroom because they can hear him singing at the top of his lungs when he's in there.

When he shows up for class (he still does this) he will usually go sit at his desk with his backpack and coat on while all the other children are hanging up theirs. He forgets everyday to hang them up. He often is just watching the other kids and not doing anything. He has to be reminded every.single.day, "Isaac--coat hung up and in the locker." Not sure why. Other times his coat and backpack will be on the floor in between his desk and the door. He does this at home too. I have to tell him everyday to pick up his things and put them away. Like I said, no focus.

One day the class was doing art projects using Sharpies. He told Mrs. Duke he wasn't allowed to use Sharpies and so he couldn't do the project. She assured him it was okay. When I came in that day to help, he was practically in tears when I looked at him. I went over to him and he told me in a really scared voice that he had to use Sharpies and he accidentally drew on his pants. There was barely a mark on his pants but he was sure he was in trouble. It broke my heart. I had to tell him Mrs. Duke was the boss while he was at school and everything was fine.

I love my Isaac and I am so excited to see him growing up. He is a truly kind person and hasn't got a mean or nasty bone in his body. He has no disposition to do anything bad or naughty. It's not in his nature. I am so blessed to have him in my life and Martin and I adore him. I'm proud to be his mom.