Feedback from School

This PTM meeting, the feedback from school was not very great.

While the academics part was good, the class participation was not so great.

The teachers insisted that I have not been spending enough time with the children and that is evident.

They have not been studying their home notes which is why the class participation is not there.

Tejas had made a card for his teacher who was leaving school. The contents were-

Mam, I cannot read home notes because my mother is in office.

While one part of me wanted to take a picture for facebook, the rational side of me stopped just in time else the teacher would think I am extremely shameless. 

I had been moping around the entire day and confided to my friends on this and Dotmom dear wrote a wonderful mail to me which made me feel immediately better.

I quote an edited version and I am going to hold these lines close to my heart so that I can read and draw courage from it every time guilt strikes me. 

"Make it known to the teacher that you work and that you expect kids to do homework on their own. If you are not proud of who you are, your kids are not going to be proud. So stop feeling the guilt. You are an amazing mom and you have a career, not a job. Be proud of your accomplishments and stop apologizing to yourself, your sons and the world."

So as Dottie says, henceforth I am going to tell myself and the sons that-

"I am smart and I love my job and I am fortunate to have a good job that allows us to take vacations and will pay for your college. I work because my mind won't get any exercise at home."

It is amazing how these few sentences made me feel immensely better. While I do take the feedback and need to work together with the husband in focusing on their studies but I am not going to get that feeling of self doubt again. And neither am I going to compromise on work or extra curricular activities like the gym just because I need to study with the kids.

In class 2, I was matured enough to do my homework and knew that I had to study. I need to push that concept in the kids' mind that all is not fun and games once they are back from school.

I somehow feel that perhaps the old way of teaching and exams and homework made the students more responsible for their performance rather than the current style which makes home work a weekend thing and tests and exams never happen. There are only assessments. 

However, this is a choice that we have made and I need to make it work.