Two Tuesdays ago I was on the local new promoting MOPS and the Great Moms Walk. Nobody else from the steering team wanted to be on tv so I said I would do it. I was really excited about it. I thought it would a wonderful opportunity to get the word out there that MOPS existed in Abilene, and what the whole thing was about. So on Tuesday the 15th I went and got my hair done (I really stink in that department) fussed over my clothes and put my eyelashes on (and a ton of make up) and headed out the door.
When I arrived, they walked me back to the "news room" set and instructed me to sit and wait. It was about 5 minutes before the start of the show and the anchorman was sitting at his 'set' desk. I was expecting him to come over, introduce himself and tell me a little about what to expect. I had spoken with him the day before and all he said was that he look forward to talking with me, and that our bit would be 3-5 minutes interview style.
Before I knew it the show had started. Leah (who came for support) and I sat there on these tiny chairs pushed up against the wall about 4 feet from the weather guy's green screen set. We sat and waited. They ran the top stories, then the weather then a commercial break then some more news. I kept waiting for some sort of instruction of when my turn was going to be or what they wanted me to do.... nothing.
Finally the anchor guy calls out to me (during another break) that I was up in a few minutes and that we would be "over there" (he points to a small area of the set).
I sit and wait some more. another commercial break.
"Okay Julia, come over here. Put your mic on and sit down"
Put my mic on? I have never seen this kind of apparatus before, let alone know how to put it on. I manage... and then I sit down - noticing that I am REALLY (and uncomfortably so) close to the set wall, the camera and the anchor guy. I felt like a giant on this tiny set.
"Have you ever been in a tv station before?" he asks me "Yes" I answer "I even was on tv once before."
I am not nervous. The red light goes on and the anchor guy starts to introduce us. I am not nervous.
Then he turns towards me and says (while gesturing to the camera) "Tell everyone out there about MOPS." I turn to look at the camera, expecting to see a big lens or black square box but instead I see myself... larger than life in a close-up shot and I PANIC! every word, thought or idea that I had in my head immediately vanishes and I go mute. Totally MUTE!!!
After what seems like 5 hours I say something like "I'm sorry I totally forgot what I was going to say" and like a pro the anchor guy picks up where I left off talking about MOPS and all bullet points that I had sent him a week earlier.
Every so often he would look back to me and ask me a simple question which I would stumble through. I just kept thinking look at him or the wall.... NOT the camera. And before I knew it the whole thing was over and I felt like a doof.
Leah said that after the initial mix-up that I did fine...and watching the interview back on my DVR I could see that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.... but DANG did I surprise myself.... I was so confident and relaxed and then BAMM.... the worst stage fright, mommy brain blank episode ever! LOL
the frames are actually a gold/bronze that match with his hair quite nicely... doesn't show very well with my crappy camera. So far so good... he is quite proud of them and has been showing them off every chance he gets.When we thought we were moving I had plans to send Braden to kindergarten in Little Rock next fall. Then I thought, okay well he will just go to kindergarten here in Abilene.
But a few weeks ago I was sitting outside his classroom door waiting for school to be out. I was watching the other preschool class boys running around the common yard playing freeze tag. The boys seemed so much older than Braden. Class let out and on a whim I pulled Braden's teacher over. I asked her what she thought of Braden's readiness for next year. She said that she hadn't done her testing with him yet but she thinks he would benefit from an extra year. She talked about his speech (nothing is wrong per se... but he is a bit slower than others). We also talked about social maturity.
Of course I went home and got on the Internet and started reading everything I could about "red shirting" which is the practice of parents holding the boys back a year to give them a leg up at school. I read about 'readiness' and how that really is a subjective term depending on socioeconomic level, where they are living (state regulations) and skill level of the child.
I talked to everyone I could get my hands on. My peers, my neighbors, other teachers about what they thought about the situation, what they are doing or did with their kids. Most people were FOR holding him back (I prefer to say, start late) and the more I talked to people the more I discovered that EVERYONE is holding their boys back. Which means Braden wouldn't have a leg up over his classmates, but that he would be right on par with them.
I even found a transitional kindergarten class for next year (here in Abilene) that has all summer born boys enrolled.
I learned that I could have Braden tested by the public school here. With the exit testing from his preschool combined with the entrance testing by the public school I hope it will give me a better sense of where Braden is 'at'.
I not only have to think about whether or not Braden is ready for kindergarten this year...but whether or not he will be ready for first grade a year from now. Or will he be ready for high school at a new 14 or college at barely 18. How will middle school play out with him being the youngest and possibly the smallest kid. The decisions I make now aren't all about now... they are about the next 13 years.
With each whisper of where we might be moving to next I start looking at school options and with each school option (and by option I mean different public schools) all I hear is how bad public school is. 13 years is a long time to be a part of that institution.
I used to think homeschooling was a bad thing to do. I feel that when I was a kid, school was a place where people could teach you something. Teachers had credentials and experience under their belts. The classes were small and hands on. There was no fundraising or forced attendance.
So I am terrified to send my kid out into an institution that will not be a benefit to him, but on the other hand I feel like I am woefully inadequate to teach him at home. I've been reading about classical education and the first graders sound smarter than me.
Do we do private school? PreK in Las Vegas is $8,100 Montessori in Little Rock is $4,000 the transitional kindergarten we found here is $2,730 (totally do-able no question).
Then there are all these other things I hear about public schools... how they have to answer to the state and federal government - standardized testing, how they are really set up to groom kids to be 'good citizens' of the nation ( I have some issues with the pledge of allegiance (no... not the God part), that history and facts are skewed and don't provide the whole picture (Thanksgiving for example) the fundraising (where they make kids peddle crappy products and if they refuse they are looked down upon) and basically how most grown-ups in the system don't really listen to kids.
I know at some point when we move I will have to make a final decision... for now we are okay: I've secured Braden's spot at the Transitional Kindergarten for next year and from there he can go to regular kindergarten or right on to 1st grad... that makes me feel good.
But the cloud of doubt keeps following me around, dropping random drops of rain on my head as if to taunt me.
Oh, did I mention the vaccination requirements differ from state to state? Ridiculous - this is totally stressing me out.
interesting article regarding readiness: http://www.asac.ab.ca/BI_spring02/soonlate.html
the pledge of allegiance humble beginnings: http://rexcurry.net/saying-the-pledge-of-allegiance-pictures.html
not on the test: http://planetsprogblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/not-on-test.html
one more from spogblog - a great discussion regarding gifted and talented classes and their effects on students: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5779841&postID=1968858961336922329
the video that really started all of this thinking!http://juliakstewartsblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/animal-school.html
