This hub is the first in a four-part series of hubs. I wanted to share my experiences as a parent of a child who attended a public school. The last hub in this series will include tips and advice to help you survive during your child's school age years.

Elementary School and Teachers' Comments

My oldest was a good student. She was, for the most part, quiet in class. She did all her school work, and she loved learning.

However, the teachers always seemed to find something negative to say in the 'teacher's comments' section of her report card. Here are a few:

"Cries Easily"

This was a comment written on her first report card in Kindergarten. She started school in the middle of the school year, had just turned five years old, days before her first day of school, and she was used to being around adults more than children.

I always took offense at anything the teachers had to say about my kids, so I explained that that she was probably just shocked at how cruel other children could be.

Then I proceeded to suggest to the teacher that she should have been more aware of the events, leading up to my daughter 'crying jags.'

I was not exactly one of the Kindergarten teacher's favorites after that.

"Problems Comprehending What She is Reading"

This comment showed up on my daughter's report card in first grade. When I asked the teacher about it, she told me that my daughter was reading on a 6th grade level, but not comprehending everything she was reading.

This was even simpler to explain. Although my daughter was able to read those words, the meaning of the words may have escaped her because they were words that most 11 year olds would know, but now many 6 year olds.

I suggested that she give my daughter a few words a night to study, from the 6th grade reading level books, so that she could learn them as well as read them. This suggestion made me more unpopular than before.

"Immature"

This sort of goes with the Cries Easily comment as far as explanations, but I found out that one particular incident prompted the teacher to write this at the end of the school year.

The teacher scheduled my daughter to go to the nurse for the eye, ear, height, and weight reports they do every year. Because they were only in the second grade, the teacher paired up kids to go together. The teacher told her to go right after lunch, not after the lunch period was over, but after she finished eating.

My daughter was leery of doctors, hospitals and medical tests, as I am. She was also a slow eater. When she finished her lunch, she looked for the girl that was supposed to be her partner, but found out that the girl left without her. My daughter decided not to go and returned to class instead.

When the teacher found out that she did not go, she told her to go right away and come back with a note. My daughter stood outside of the classroom, sobbing. The teacher was furious and went out into the hall to tell her to stay out there until she calmed down. My daughter yelled at the teacher then. She takes after her mother.

When I found out about this episode, I told the teacher that my daughter goes regularly to the doctor and that I would get the necessary information from the pediatrician for her records.

I also told her that if my daughter was so upset that she was out of control, the teacher should have called me and I would have talked to my daughter.

I found out, the hard way that teachers in elementary schools could dish out comments but they could not take them. I was hoping things would be different once my daughter started middle school. Middle school was different, yes, but not necessarily better.

Up Next: Middle School and Muddy Waters

I suppose I should have known there would be problems because of what happened on her first day at school. My daughter completed an aptitude test for entrance into Kindergarten, and because the spelling of my daughter's first name differs from the traditional spelling, the principal thought she spelled her name wrong.

She quickly realized her mistake when my daughter completed the test in record time and the results revealed she had a very high IQ. I do not pass this on to brag, because she certainly did not get her brains from her mother.

I am passing this on to show you that this incident should have been my first clue that it was not going to be smooth sailing, from the start.