Making progress

Progress reports came out for my kiddos yesterday, and all in all the school year is progressing about as I would have guessed.

My daughter's report indicates budding problems with math, reading and English, no surprises there. Her instructional aide, who was supposed to be in place on Day One, finally showed up this Monday, so maybe she can make the difference in those problem areas. In the comments section, the teacher wrote that my daughter "has been working very hard," which is boilerplate for this child, kind of like the way they always say a person who's not that attractive has a great personality. But the teacher's right: My girl does work hard. And her parents work hard. And now her aide is going to have to work hard, too.

My son's report indicates that he's doing passing work in academic subjects, and needs improvement only in behavior and work habits. Again -- no surprise. If his behavior and work habits were perfect, he wouldn't be in a self-contained special-ed class in the first place. Still, you gotta love the comments: the teacher wrote that my son "is impulsive and compulsive, but they continue to be overshadowed by his charm, wit and hard work. He is a delightful student who is making steady progress in all areas."

I knew I liked that teacher.