This year I have the unique opportunity to view high school from 3 different perspectives - teacher, parent of a freshman, and parent of a senior. It has been an enlightening experience to say the least.
I, myself, have now been "in high school" for the past 13 years. I've watched tests come and go and come again. I watch as the curriculum is reworded and "updated," although it still means the same thing. I've changed my methods to accommodate various learning styles. However, to me, high school is still high school and teenagers never change.
As a parent of two vastly different children, however, my second high school child experience is a great deal different from my first. My son, the senior, has been one big ball of stress this semester with College Apps, 3 SP courses and the worry that no school will want him (3 do, by the way). He hasn't been having a great deal of fun and that, of course, sends my stress levels through the roof!
With my daughter, the freshman, I am reliving all of the freshman experiences - EOCs, learning the ropes, etc. - I've found the second go round to be a little easier. However, she hasn't. My son's stress has affected her and she is just now getting it together. She worries about her tests more than I do. I have much more confidence in her abilities than I did when her brother was a freshman, because I realize they will survive and even thrive, despite what happens in the classroom.
So, this year is interesting. We'll see how it all goes for the rest of the year. I'm going to try to stay calm and just help them do the best they can. That's good advice for all of us!
