The Cockles of My Heart

Jess and Cousin Cheyanne - Easter 2012

 

There was a time that I felt dread when parent/teacher conference time would roll around. Now that Jess is in a school that is suited to her needs, I no longer feel that dread. I have been trying to hook up with Jessica’s teacher for quite a while now. Mr. Nathan was booked on the official day of conferences, but assured me that she was doing well. We finally found the perfect day to talk via phone.

 I was told that she was doing amazingly well and that she had the great ability to remove herself from the chaos of the room and find a quiet place to work. She didn’t need to sit by her friends and socialize. She understands that she needs quiet to work and that sitting near some of the “Chatty Kathy’s” will not allow her to finish her work. She is doing a great job academically with one exception. She is struggling in Algebra II. I apologized to the teacher and explained that my husband is super smart in math and I am not. My son inherited Dad’s math gene and Jess inherited mine.

 We discussed Jessica’s great ability to empathize and sympathize with others. I told Mr. Nathan that Jess had been very upset about a boy in her class (we will call him T). She felt that the other students were being unkind to him, teasing him, taunting him and trying to see if they could get him to act out. Jess was really angry when she told me about her peers’ behavior on Friday. She told me that she had sat with him and played a game with him, and it had made T feel really good that she had done this. Afterwards, T had thanked Jess and whoever else had sat with him. He was touched because he knew that these students probably didn’t connect with the type of games that he likes to play, but they did it for him. It really touched Jess’ heart that he felt so alone that he had to be so thankful to anyone that would just sit and spend time with him.

 I heard the story from Mr. Nathan’s point of view. He told me that T is the kind of boy that stays home on Friday nights playing Dungeons and Dragons and has few friends. Jess wanted him to feel that he was as special as the boys who were outside playing football. He said that she probably didn’t enjoy playing the game and she would have probably rather been outside with her friends. But, she did it because she is a very caring person. She genuinely cares about people. Not only is that is why she wants to be a teacher, but that is why she is going to be really good teacher. He said that she can work with and be friends with all types of kids (and there are many types at her school) and it all stems from her amazing ability to care about others and their feelings.

 At the end of the day, it is more than the academics, it is empathy and sympathy that you hope that your child has learned. It warms the cockles of this mom’s heart to hear that my daughter has a beautiful, kind, sweet and loving heart.