First Grade

We are changing my daughter’s school, next school year. Very traditional local schools are not for us, especially ones with a heavy amount of daily homework (at least two hours each day). The multiple tests and exams! It’s a lot.

Not all local schools are like this, but many are, and some parents seek the large amount of coursework and multiple tests. Education is valued a lot, I feel like the twenty learning centres in the malls near my apartment are a good example of that.

My daughter has made friends, and seems to like her teachers, so that’s the good thing. My husband has been contacting other schools, mainly looking at the English speaking ones now, but they won’t know their capacity til May. We are also considering International Schools, but it can be expensive.

It’s bringing back memories of my own first grade experience. It was unpleasant due to the teacher. She had high expectations, if you didn’t do well on a test, your paper was faced down when handed back. She had an argument with another parent in the middle of class, she was not a well liked teacher. We would write on the board, “We Love You Mrs. ______”, my mom thought it was strange, it was encouraged by the teacher.

My main memory of her class was on the last day of school. I wasn’t mastering subtraction, maybe I cried, I don’t think I talked back as the only times I got in trouble were because I just talked too much to my friends, so she sent me to a time out in a kindergarten class. I vividly remember sitting on the floor in front of the sink cabinet. The kindergarteners were having fun. My friend Lakeisha came to bring me back. That was also the year, I started to obsessively wash my hands.

I actually approached that teacher in a store a few years later, somehow I still wanted to say ‘hi’ to her. She didn’t recognize me… she seemed completely out of it really. Which is a lesson in itself. Don’t bother putting too much importance on someone else’s opinion of you, they may not even remember you.

I know it’s just a season, but I’m really ready to be done with this school year.