Sounds like I'm trying to cover my ass

I've had an idea. You know how we (and maybe that's too general, but I'm going to assume you're on my side) constantly lament how teachers are not given enough credit for the job they do? Not just pay, but the way we look at the profession itself. As a society, we see teachers really as glorified babysitters, and sometimes not even glorified. Yesterday the Trueb popped out of nowhere with, "I am so glad Mrs. Ritchie is my teacher." My first instinct was to agree and say, "Me too. She is really nice." But then I had this weird epiphany. What is the first thing you ask your kid about the first day of school? "Do you like your teacher? Is she nice?" And we communicate with our kids on the level of whether or not they like the teacher, how nice/not nice she is. So, unintentionally, but surely, we are raising our kids connecting good teaching with being nice and when some of those kids become congresspeople and legislate for our country, they are thinking in their heads about all the nurturing, kind, supportive people watching kids all day. And isn't that just a subconscious step away from babysitter?
I replied to Em, "Yeah. She seems like she has a bunch of good ideas. I'll bet she can teach you a lot." My brilliant girl agreed with me and detailed a couple things she felt she had already learned from her.
Maybe I'm overthinking this. Maybe our country has more respect for teachers than I think. Maybe I actually am a glorified babysitter. But just in case I'm right, next time you almost ask your kids if they like their teachers, try asking them what they are learning from them instead. Let's see what happens.

Totally Diggin 2nd Grade

Wowza, the start of another school year! It's weird, I was thinking the other day that my school years are kind of cyclical. I go from September to June, then start over again. Granted, every year is different, and, here's hoping, I get better, but it's kind of marking time in a way, it's always the same thing.
For the Trube though, it's a linear model. She's moving from milestone to milestone, every year for her is one year closer to independence, to being on her own, to being out in the world and ready to grab it! I'm watching her move through these rites of passage and gain more and more confidence, become more and more capable. It's a time-honored parental lament I know, but that doesn't make it any less shocking when every once in a while you're jolted out of your everyday and literally watch your child grow up before your very eyes. That was today. I took her picture in her First Day of School Outfit and she popped a hip out and gave me a double thumbs up. It looked so much like a little girl emulating an older girl that I just wanted to scoop her up and press kisses all over her soft baby cheeks. Then she slung her backpack over one shoulder and suddenly looked so much like that older girl that I wanted to scream and pile books on her head to stop her from growing so rapidly that she is rocketing skyward like Alice in Wonderland! I got to take her in to school this morning and her teacher is freakin lovely. I adored how she treated the kids, still a little coddly, but a little grown-upy too. A great balance for second-grade I thought. Plus, we get to celebrate birthdays this year! Woo hoo! I stayed for a little while and got to help out with some stuff in the room. When I had to leave, she just waved and smiled and that was it. She's on her own in the big big world. I am so proud of my kid I could quite literally puke all over myself.