School, again

I had a talk with Samuel's teacher this morning. I had forgotten to bring a white t-shirt he needed for a project. When I returned with it, they were in music and his teacher was alone in the classroom. I told her that I dreaded picking him up every day because I had to hear what kind of day he had. I also said that this was the first year that he has been acting out in school. She gave me a few reasons as to what it could be. One, he's bored. Two, he's coming into himself and realizing he has a choice to listen. Three, he's feeding off of three other boys who get in trouble with him. Not too encouraging. She also said that she often see big improvements in January and February, especially with boys. He's not defiant and always knows why he got in trouble, a good sign.

We talked about kindergarten and she told me that I am really going to have to be on top of his teacher. If she sends home three books for most kids, Samuel will need twenty. Hopefully, he'll get a teacher that will be creative with him and challenge him. I also could sense her telling me that he would do better in a private school setting. They can do a lot more with kids because the pressure of standardized tests is gone.

So what to do? I wish I knew. The thought of thirteen long years of school with him scares me. I doubt he'll ever me the kind of kid that sits there quietly waiting for the tenth worksheet in a row. He'll be the one out of the seat, waving his hand wildly, trying to get the teacher to call on him. He'll be the one who would bring a frog to school in his pocket and scare the teacher. He's a planner, a plotter. His mind never stops. The preschool director told me that other day, "He'll be the boss of all of us one day." That might be true but what do I do in the meantime?