NWS warning

I met with Tommy's new teacher this morning. She seems like a delightful woman. She just moved here from Ohio but has taught previously. I'm hoping she doesn't hate us by the end of the year.

You see, the point of the meeting was to be kind of like a National Weather Service warning. He is coming. Be prepared. It will not be our fault if she doesn't heed the warning and prepare herself. We considered having her sign a waiver releasing us from liability but thought that might really scare her.

Fortunately I think she can handle Tommy. She spoke in a sweet voice and had a cheery smile on her face, but spoke very firmly about discipline and how she "handles things" in her class. I liked that about her. I hope she is one of those teachers that everyone knows you just don't cross--even if she is smiling. I hope that Tommy will learn self control under her tutelage. I hope she has a classroom bouncer named Guido that takes the kids out back and roughs them up when they get out of line. But I'm guessing the school district would frown up on that. :-)

All of this is because Tommy is coming into this classroom not as a belligerent, obnoxious or mean child, but rather as a seasoned entertainer. One who cannot get enough applause or enough good reviews. No audience is too small and no act too ridiculous to please them. Add that to the fact that self control is a very vague and uninteresting concept for him and he is very easily distracted. And of course there's the fact that he forgets a great deal of what he is told. But, on the up side he is very cute.

So, our prayer for Mrs. D is that she would see past the cuteness from Day One and give Tommy the heavily structured environment he needs. I want her to look directly into Tommy's eyes--down to his very soul--and cause a shiver to run up his spine as she clearly communicates that she's got his number and he needs to shape up and fly right or bear her wrath. (Maybe she should wear army fatigues when she first meets him.)

We'll know soon enough how she will hold up against the whirling dirvish of 2006 known as Tommy.