My Experience at Mini-School

Last night I had the privilege of participating in “mini-school” at Keller High School. During mini-school we parents follow the schedule of our child, spending 9 minutes in each class to get to know the teacher a bit and see what they will be studying. As I left the school my spirit was soaring.

You see, I sometimes lament the fact that the schools in my corner of suburban Fort Worth are rather large. I am concerned sometimes that my children could be lost in the crowd – merely a number being pushed through a system to make room for the numbers coming up behind them. Last night those concerns were eased. Yes, the school is large, but I found my way around rather easily. More important than that, I realized very quickly that my daughter is blessed with teachers who are kind, knowledgeable, and completely engaged. Even in the face of over-regulation, strained budgets, and larger classes each of these teachers conveyed genuine excitement and enthusiasm for the year ahead. I was also struck by the complexity of all she will be learning this year, and I am more determined than ever to do what I can to help her succeed.

As I write I realize I am not writing about my daughter's teachers. I am writing about most teachers. My wife is a teacher, so I see daily the hard work and dedication that she invests because she wants her students to succeed. I picture each of my daughter’s teachers doing the same, and I am both grateful and thankful. My children will succeed this year. They will succeed, not because of the bureaucrats in the Department of Education or the “No Child Left Behind” act, but because they have teachers who know their stuff and care about their students and we, their parents, are involved.