Not the Momma!

I am not the momma! I do not claim to be the momma! It's nights like these that I wish the momma were home! Katie is off at praise team rehearsal while I am hear trying to be a good "not the momma". Poor Tif. She is in a new school and her school from last year was not the greatest. She is a very bright "A" student, but math is giving her some trouble as she is playing a bit of "catch-up" in learning division this year. The other kids got some instruction last year and she is having some trouble. She is home tonight with an assignment from a student teacher. I student taught once and I know that it's tough. This teacher of Tif's is coming across very "hardnosed and strict". She is determined that the kids are going to learn...which is great. However, I may be disagreeing with Tif's assignment. She had a timed test today. She has missed 3 days of school due to a toothache which will need to have a root canal. (It was a loooooooooooooong weekend!) Anyway, Tiffany missed 44 problems on the timed division test. (Many she simply didn't even get to.) The student teacher, I'm sure with good intentions, is requiring each student to rewrite the missed problems 10 times each. In theory that is great! In reality, when you miss 44 problems...it's not great at all! Like I said before, Tiffany is a bright kid and will learn this stuff but give the kid a break! She missed a few days (her only this year) because of a toothache that kept her up all night for 4-5 nights, she has church on Wednesday nights which limits time spent on homework and is in her room bawling as she attempts to get this hefty assignment done.

I am sitting out here surfing the Web and listening to her cry. I hear her say things like "I HATE student teachers!" and "I WILL NEVER GET 400 PROBLEMS DONE!" "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL TOMORROW" (she may get her wish too...winter storm warning. 2-5 inches of snow possible. The city will close down if we get that!) I try to be encouraging. I try to tell her to just work on the next problem and not think about all of them at once. She will learn it as she does it so it is not in vain. I do think it is a great amount of work to expect from a 10 year old, but at the same time if it's assigned, I think she should do it. I'm so glad at the moment "I'm not the momma!" It's too hard to be the momma. This is why God made me a "not the momma"...oh Katie...where are you? Please come home!

I hate when kids are so miserable that they cry.