When a Teacher Calls

Haha!

No, actually, the teacher DIDN'T call.

But, I'm writing this on Friday the 13th, and that got me thinking about the movie "Friday the 13th", which got me thinking about all the scary movies I saw at way too young of an age, which reminded me of "When a Stranger Calls", which evolved into the title of my post.

Sheesh.

Talk about giving a mouse a cookie . . .

So, no, the teacher DIDN'T call.

However, this will ALL make sense in a few minutes, if you stick with me.

My daughter has striven for straight A's on her report card all year. She has missed straight A's by either one or two classes on each of her three report cards. Just a reminder that straight A's was never my goal for her. Or my husband's goal. We just don't roll that way. We want her to do her very best work. Period. And, while we also know that she is indeed capable of receiving all A's, we encourage her any way we can. (And please don't mess with me as to whether A's should have an apostrophe or not. It's just easier to read that way.)

So, little Miss, "I want all A's" comes home on Tuesday unhappy. Visibly unhappy.

"I failed a math test."

"Really? You have been doing so great in math!" (according to her grades which I am able to check everyday online.)

"I don't know what happened."

"Ok, so what do we need to do about this?"

"I need extra help. Mrs. W, saw I was sad and offered to stay after school with me. I really want to do that."

I really want to do that.

I.

A self-imposed tutoring session initiated by my 11 year old daughter.

Sold.

"Sure thing. I'll email and get that set up for you."

Her report card came home the next day, and sure enough, as averages do what averages do, that F brought Harper's grade down. She was not pleased. 

"Did you call Mrs. W?"

"Yep. All set."

The tutoring session went great and Harper requested two more next week.

Now THAT is a CAN-DO, no, a WILL-DO spirit right there.

Because the whole grade thing was HER goal, it has been interesting to watch how she has approached the school year with that goal in mind. And, as I've mentioned before, even if she does not get straight A's for this last quarter, she can be confident that she did indeed give a concentrated, consistent, and intentional effort into striving for that goal.

Even booking her own tutor.

I give her an A for personal responsibility and follow-through . . . and THOSE are life-skills that I'd love her to hold on to for the rest of her life.

Joline Pinto Atkins is an actress who also uses the web as her world-wide stage and can also be founding writing at The Cuppa Jo, Workingmother.com, and is the founder and a contributor at Daily Fast Fuel. Joline is wife to one (phew - that's good to know) and mother of two amazing children, aged 11 and 7, who are both named after authors. Addicted to fitness, she is an Independent Team Beachbody Coach and sweats out any daily angst by exercising and P90X'ing, and longs for good books, vats of coffee, and an endless supply of buffalo wings - which she will not share with you. So, please, do not ask.