Accessing Records

Yesterday L told me that the local high school was passing out old school records. The local school counselor gave them to people who were still around this town. L got his records from when he started school until his college years.

We looked over his records, grades, tests. It was very interesting! I won't divulge how well he did in school or IQ tests, etc. But I did find some of the grades interesting and a teacher comment.

Then I decided to go ahead and write to my old school up in Hutch. I wonder what kind of stuff that I had in my "permanent records." I wonder IF they still have my permanent records as it has been 35 years since I've been in school there. So I shot an email over to the school district still waiting to hear the details about accessing my records.

It was interesting seeing L's, but then I thought "oh my what if there is something REALLY bad in my files?" I do have my grade cards from being a student in grade school. The teachers would write comments down about me then. Some comments flattering and some not so much. I have always wondered what my IQ was as well. I remember in my first grade year for some reason I had to take the test over. I wondered if I scored a 50 or something! My mom reassured me that I was "average" and the reason that they made me take it over was because my brother was way above average. Our scores didn't match up. Those were the days that they compared siblings. I know now it doesn't matter where you were in first grade, you can continue to raise your IQ based on your life experiences.

I would like to read the summary from when my mom talked to my third grade teacher and my sixth grade teacher. My sixth grade teacher always told my mom I would never be an A student in math, thus my hatered for the subject. I have had teachers who were very opinionated (right or wrong) of my education performance.

Now, I am thinking do I REALLY want to know what is in my permanent files? I cautiously say yes. I am still curious.

I know there has to be some good things in my records. There will be stuff that I will laugh about as we did with L. We were mostly laughing at what the teacher said about reading "too many (insert a sport here) books." In this day and age, a teacher would be happy if a student is reading "anything," as long as they are reading. Teachers and their methods have come a long way since the sixties!

I look at S and J and wonder if their strengths in their educational years have mostly come from L or myself? Are kids shaped by their parents knowledge or are they shaped by influences outstide of the family? Will these records provide a key as to how/why our kids are great in one subject and not so much in another?

Still I am curious! :) I hope I find out about the records. Good or (gulp!) Bad.