11.17.2011

Where O Where Has My Kindergirl Gone?

Yall know I am a teacher right?

Can you imagine what a teacher's worst fear is? Did you guess your students failing every assessment ever administered? How about catching every contagious disease carried by a child? What about losing your house because you don't make enough money to survive? Oooooo, oooooo how about a belligerent parent calling the police and filing a report on you because their child is disrespectful and hit you?

All those are good guesses and 3 outta 4 of those are on my top 10 list of teacher fears...maybe it's a top 5 list... and 2 outta four of those scenarios have actually happened to me, but you would be remiss if you guessed any of those things.

As a teacher, especially a teacher of kinderpeeps, my absolute worst fear is losing a kinder and how about this past Monday, I almost did!

On Mondays and Tuesdays, Greener Grass Elementary offers tutoring to students who fall below the recommended percentage for things you just need to know by the end of kindergarten.

I sent home permission slips spelling out what days and times the children need to stay after-school. Parents have to read it and return the bottom portion...SIGNED. Thus acknowledging the fact that their child has an engagement on Monday, Tuesday or both nights.

On Mondays, my grade level partner (GLP) tutors in reading and I tutor in math on Tuesdays. So, when this child came up missing, I wasn't even at school. Let me break the situation down for you...

Kindergirl does not stay for tutoring on Mondays. The day was Monday. I had her pack up and get in her bus line. No problems there. I have packed up and left the school, trading in the old seasonal teacher sweater for the Cinderella garb and taking on my mommy duties.

I am in the process of getting Aiden from school when my GLP calls me up. She asks if kindergirl was supposed to stay on Mondays because her mom was there asking where she was. I tell her that I am 98% positive that kindergirl DIDN'T stay on Mondays and we hung up, but as I keep thinking about it, doubt sneaks it's way into my head.

The past week, kindergirl had been a car rider. I hadn't gotten a note stating that her travel arrangements going home had permanently changed to walker/car rider status, but I was wondering...

I call my GLP back and voice my doubts. I'm shuffling through my bag o' teaching tools until I find confirmation that kindergirl only stayed on Tuesdays. Just when I found it, kindermommy shows up at the school. She is very worried, but I do point out to her that kindergirl didn't stay on Mondays (I don't want that shyte falling back on me. I did my duty and ushered her to where she needed to be to get home!).

Next, I did something that teachers don't generally do. I was very concerned about kindergirl's whereabouts and with all the baby snatching stuff in the news, my heart was in my throat. I gave kindermommy my (say it in slow motion for more effect) pppeeerrrsssoooonnnaaalll ceeeelllll phoooonnneeee nnnuummmbber. That's right! My personal cell phone number. I am willing to turn around and spearhead a search party for this little kinderbit! I love all the kinders in my class...yes, even the rambunctious ones.

Kindermommy says that she is going to try the babysitters house because that is where the bus lets kindergirl get off. I ask her to please call me and let me know the status of the situation and that I am here to help in anyway I can. Kindermommy assures me that she will call.

Peeps, that conversation happened about 5:15ish. Do you know that at 7:15, I still hadn't gotten a call from this mother!? WTF? I end up calling her and getting voicemail. Really? Come on! I leave a message, leaving my personal cell phone number AGAIN and asking her to call and let me know what's going on.

She did call me back eventually. You would think she woulda called me as soon as she found kindergirl, but NO.

I don't know how to take this. Do parents just think that teachers stop caring about their children once the school day ends? Cuz, if that's the case, parents have another "think" coming!

I dream about the children in my class! That is how I get some of my best material for implementing strategies to help them learn. I have 21 children on my mind each and every day (19 kinders plus my own 2). I just think it was very impolite to leave me hanging like that.

On the plus side, I was very relieved that kindergirl was found, safe and sound. I'm also very glad that my "no student lost" record is still intact! Definitely one of the fears of being a teacher.

1 comment:

Mrs. H. said...

I gasped at the thought of how the situation "might have" happened. You guys deal with a lot besides just teaching children. Teaching is definitely a calling & you're a great example. Keep up the fantastic work, Kesha!

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