Pinned for Listening!

One thing I worried about with Meg heading off to school is her ability to follow through with directions. Maybe that's a common concern of parents? I know, most kids filter what they really hear from a parent to what they choose to really respond to. I know, most kids respond differently to a teacher in a group setting. But, still, it seems that I have to repeat simple directions to Meg many times beyond "normal" before sending her on her way... and still find tasks undone, or her sidetracked somewhere else. Sending her off to school leaves me just hoping that she listens to the directions and then follows through at her individual desk. My repeated words as I send her on her way: "Listen. Listen to your teacher." (One, to show respect. Two, to know what you are to do.) I know she gets things. She just has to really focus to process the information. In a public school setting, I guess I just hope that she is given that time to "perform."

That being said, I went to "Back to School Night" last night and had a few minutes to talk to her teacher afterwards. After asking a few basic questions (one regarding a note that had been sent home about an "advanced enrichment group" they want to pull her, and a few others in first-grade, once a week for...see, I know she gets it!), the teacher made a point to say how amazed she is with "how well Meg comprehends things. She listens very well and can recall all the details of what she just heard. For example, after reading a chapter book to the class I asked who the main character was...her hand shot right up. She knew." I was caught off guard a bit. My initial reaction (thought silently to myself) was, "I hope she isn't that child on the carpet that answers everything and irritates peers around her." My next (silent) reaction was, "Listening! Ah, she'd doing it! She's focusing!!" I quickly recapped my concern of follow through to her (new, young) teacher and expressed how grateful I was that she was paying attention. I left comforted!

Then, today, Meg came home and immediately showed me a pin (Can you spot the one inch of pride?) tacked onto the corner of her shirt. As positive reinforcement throughout each school day, the students get "tickets" for doing good things. They plop these "tickets" into a box in hopes that theirs will be one of the lucky five pulled out on Friday for a prize. Meg received two tickets. Two tickets FOR LISTENING! Then, come the lottery moment, hers was pulled out. She was able to receive a prize!

Now, of course I'm not promoting the tangible thing in her hand. I am just grateful that she was recognized as a listener. More, I am grateful that she was given the chance to see the skill of listening as an important thing - a thing beyond a nagging reminder from Mom. But yes, a part of me is grateful that luck was one her side and that a pin could seal the deal about listening being a good thing. Feels like we're starting this year out on the right foot!

Way to go Meg. I'm proud of what that pin means! I'm proud of you choosing to do what it took to earn it!

(Usually a journal topic takes some prompting. "What about you eating school lunch? or recess? or your new teacher's name?" Today's took no guidance! In her own words: "Today I got a kitty pin. I got two tickets for listening. My ticket got pulled out.")