Always something going on because of American high school.
Photo: Olu famulus / unsplash
Howdy from Texas, dear readers,
I don’t want to give her pity with every column, but this time it would be completely appropriate. My fellow moms and I live through a difficult period, also called “Maycember”, this is a merger of the months of May and December and thinks that most mothers and a few fathers are now as much stress just before the summer vacation, as well as just before the end of the year. This is a completely incomprehensible concept when you live in Germany, where school is not understood as a day -to -day mega. Do you want examples? Ok: Last week I received eleven emails from my daughter’s class teacher alone. That is twice as much as usual. In an average week in March or April I got five to six. But May is hardcore: Last week was “Teacher Appreciation”, I was “Chaperone” on the school trip to the nature center, my daughter was “star student” and I needed explanations for all of these events. You also need some? With pleasure.
Talke talks
News from Fernwest: Jana Talke lives in Texas and writes about American and Americanized way of life.
A “Teacher Appreciation” week is a five-day celebration of the teachers, which takes place at most US schools at the end of the year and is specified by the parents’ council. What is given, do you want to know? Of course, the motto, “90s” or “summer”, then of course there are changing disguise suggestions for teachers and students (cartoon character, pajamas, etc.) as well as also daily guidelines for the parents about what the teachers should give the teachers: flowers, sweets, vouchers etc. How do you know what they want, may they ask themselves? An Excel table is sent with all the teachers’ preferences, several times. The teachers themselves will forward the emails, otherwise they could be ignored!
If you take part in all of this, other mothers and me advise. Somehow already, we end up in the end. Would be rude to leave out the sports, music or art teacher. How much do you spend? In the local Facebook groups, they advise you to turn down $ 50 per teacher. That reminds a lot of Christmas, with the exception that you go away empty -handed.
“Chaperoning” means to supervise children on excursions, an additional help for the teachers, in which there is more demand than places, because my generation Mutti is overambitious and exaggerated ̶ A bunch of so -called “People Pleaser” ̶ and so I only get on it at the end of the school year by lottery. In the chaperoning email it says how I have to behave: I should be a role model, take care of the children well and not look at my cell phone! I obey.
On the way back in the yellow school bus, I sit next to a little girl who is not mine because my daughter wants to sit next to her friends (I suppress the trauma of child rejection to the next column). “When I’m grown up, you are dead,” says the little girl. I want to change the topic: “What do you eat in the cafeteria?” I ask. “The main thing is nothing vegetarian. Vegetarians are fools, «she replies. When she also wants to count the passing Teslas with me, I have to reflect on the warning mail and alternately “be a role model” and “never again chaperoning again!”
Oh, there was still something! The class is chosen as a “star student” by the class. You then have certain privileges, as in class at the “Star Student” bank and show your fellow students your favorite toys and books. You also have to dress up in some cases, in the star student email it says “Thursday: wear your favorite hat and your favorite socks to learn without shoes.” I want to know what the vulture is without shoes “, but do not risk any further email. At the end of the week, the parents have to make a power point presentation about their child, my daughter complains that I would have chosen for her “boring” background. Do you already feel sorry for? And I didn’t even tell about the “Summer Camp”. But I already know, they think: to blame who takes part in this madness! They are right. At least Mother’s Day was email free.