Prep K and the Mini Concert.

Cherub's teacher K is exactly what you'd hope to get if you were ordering the perfect prep teacher. She is sweetness and light and the children do everything she asks of them instantly and cheerfully, just because they adore her. There is perfect order in the classroom and happy, busy students. Cherub has a major crush on her and I don't blame him. I've done a couple of parent helper sessions with the class and been so impressed with her organisation and her way with the children. They are eating out of her hand. And she is really good with the parent helpers, has a box full of little activities for us to do with them, with instructions and props and everything. She is just wonderful.

Anyway, on Friday Fixit and I attended our first Open Morning with Cherub's Prep Class. This means the parents trundle in for an hour and find out what the kids have been up to. I should probably have guessed that K would excel in Open Mornings as in all her teaching endeavours. WE didn't just amble in and look at workbooks. Oh no. I mean, we did get to sit at their tables, which were all laid out with their work books, underneath a cheery checklist of all the things to do together including some hands-on activities. But first we watched an adorable performance of We're Going On A Bear Hunt, with K reading and the kids reciting along and doing suitable actions, (Cherub got to squelch the gumboots for the thick, oozy mud part, so proud) followed by a lovely song about Autumn Leaves -again with actions- and this time also singing. And I think I will squeeze in a quick plug here - or maybe it is more of an affirmation- and mention that I have a number of tap-dancing students in that class and they stood out noticeably for their fine work on the actions. If only my readership was closer to home I would be telling you right now that if you want your child to totally ace their preppy concert, you should absolutely send them to my tap dancing school.

You know, if that sort of thing is important to you.

Ahem. Where was I? Oh yes.

Cherub is far more what I expected in a child of mine, scholastically speaking. It's not that Climber isn't equally bright but he's different. He's an absorber, a dreamer, a multi-tasker (examining the paperclip AND taking in every word of the story being read to him), he is shyer and more sensitive. And much more interested in swinging on the monkey bars than any classroom activity. So picture me, the girly swot mother, the academic high achiever, the quintessential teachers' pet, with her dreamy, climbing firstborn and you will see that I was puzzled by him and the way he rarely put his hand up in class. I really had to rethink my expectations. Cherub on the other hand, ticks all my boxes. He likes to sit up the front, he wants K to pick him and his hand goes up a LOT. His work is clearly good and there was lots of it to see, including actual finished stuff. It all made me think that it was lucky I had them in the order I did. If Cherub had been the first born I might have been too set in my ways and expectations to let Climber walk his own path.