Well, we thought so...

Sam and I, like all parents probably, like to think that our precious offspring are exceptionally smart. At least I assume most parents think that. Last year wasn't always a bowl of cherries when it came to Audrey enjoying her class and the work required for it. Her teacher although technically adequate seemed pretty disengaged from the kids. Audrey was able to pull off good grades but sometimes could be heard saying, "I hate math!"

Another girl who hates math... why does this seem so typical and even partially excepted? I know Audrey's smart and that's not something I wanted to hear. I wanted to somehow change her point of view. She got through the year still without too much trouble and headed for the the 6th grade.

This year seems to be a different story. Audrey's Teacher is named "Mr. Rob" or Mr. Robinson. She's had a man for a teacher one other time in grade school and seemed to enjoy the difference in teaching style. Reese is currently in Audrey's old 3rd grade teachers' class and loving it. At any rate, somehow her teacher this year is able to coax out Audrey's abilities and talents, probably thanks in part to his pride for his job and class. Every time we go to parent teacher conference, he seems so excited to highlight and brag to us about how wonderful and bright Audrey is. They regularly take placement tests in various subjects. Audrey has been doing excellent in these but in particular, her math scores have been the highest in the class and way above the district averages for her grade. Thanks to these good scores, she's been able to start a special math class with a handful of other students. They've been diving in early to high school level geometry and algebra, and.....she's doing amazing and loving it! We are so proud of her and thankful for a teacher who was able to notice her strengths and put her in a situation for them to grow. So, no more girls hating math in this house..., (except me, maybe just a little..., ;) . We 're so thankful for each of our children, their awesome personalities, their talents and fun quirks. What a blessing to have teachers who care and make our kids' lives better.