To give credit where credit is due, I'm sure she is a really good teacher, and that my daughter is driving her insane. Because she doesn't fit the mold. I'm not entirely sure there was a mold when she was created. I think she started out as more of a molecular blob, and progressed from there.

It's a good thing I'm not bitter, or overprotective, isn't it? Because I was so ready to take this woman down it's not even funny. But that is in no way fair, or supportive. It won't help the situation at all and it won't help the problem if I get up into her personal business and kick the snotty, condescending, “there is something wrong with your child because she is lazy and doesn't listen” little biznich attitude she has displayed in her communications with me. Did I mention that I have a quick temper and am somewhat defensive even when there is no cause to be?

I got over myself pretty fast. I have learned, after eating so many feet, that I need to let myself calm down, and look at things in a kinder, gentler, not so much it's-all-about me way. You know, do the mature, rational adult thing which doesn't always come easy to me when I think my child is getting a poke in the eye with a stick.

It had become increasingly apparent that there were problems with this teacher. She is doing really well in all of her classes, except with this subject. From last year, we learned Meelie is extremely bright, but lacks the focus and attention to deal with details. Details like remembering to bring your homework home and remembering when things are due. And focus? What focus? Would you just sit still already! I could go on but I want to get to bed sometime before midnight.

So we scheduled a parent-teacher conference this afternoon with the homeroom teacher and the Amazon Green Slime Woman.

Third grade is some hard learning man. Dudette! You have to change classes and remember to bring the right folders and then figure out what you have to do for homework. I was ready to totally overlook the whole homework log thing, because, you know, my daughter just wasn't good at LOOKING at the log to figure it out. I mean, who really cares that they are trying to teach the kids to be responsible for what needs to be done so they can succeed in 4th grade? I mean really! This is about my daughter, and how she is having a really rough time, especially with the Amazon Woman, and she cries, and says if she has to remember anything else her brain is going to explode. It's just that hard. The kind of hard that makes a kid think they should be going back to kindergarten because they will never, ever, ever make it and will probably be in school until they are as old as me and can't fit into the chairs any more. And people, that is way too old to be cleaning chalk boards.

You see where this is going? You see why I wait to cool down?

By this afternoon I was calm enough to actually figure out there may be some other point of view, that might be ok to listen to, even if I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear. Maybe, just maybe, I should listen to what they had to say, and then react. Or not.

It shouldn't be surprising for you to hear me say that the meeting went exceptionally well. We got together and brainstormed for ideas in which to help my little peanut remember. Suffice to say, that also means mom has to be a bit of a hard nose and force her to take responsibility where it is due. And the Green Slime Amazon Woman is nothing more than a beautiful rose, with a couple of thorns because she can read my daughter inside and out and is not about to let her fail. And that I really had a hard time looking her in the eye because earlier in the week, I was ready to make her head roll, and show everyone, and I mean EVERYONE that this mom is not going to take the mistreatment of her daughter laying down.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go clean off the chalk board and since my recess privileges have been revoked until my attitude has improved, I believe I'll do some reading for the book report due next month.

That is all.