Teamwork

The bane of child-rearing is the parent/teacher conference. Even if you have a well-behaved, academically successful kid, there’s still an awful lot of ego and self-identity enmeshed in that half-hour time slot. You want Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so to say that your little scholar is the inspiration which makes their career choice worthwhile, and they try to avoid telling you that your child is the reason they drink. When my oldest daughter was in elementary school, the conference was a study in opposites. Every teacher she ever had praised how bright and advanced she was, but when it came to the “plays well with others” part, not so much. It wasn’t that she was an unruly child, just that other kids exasperated her to no end and she made darn sure they were aware of it. Frequently. I used to feel great impatience over hearing about this twice a year each year until I became an instructor at Chico State teaching Small Group Discussion. I’d always preferred working on school projects alone when I was a student, but seeing multiple groups go through their frustrating lifecycle each semester, I developed a whole new aversion for the teamwork process and a heightened appreciation for Keilana’s socializing challenges. Which is why I have mixed feelings about Sonali Fry’s Teamwork in Tonka Town. I’m glad that Chuck the Dump Truck and his various automotive pals can work together, but I think things are more simple in Tonka Town than they are in mine.

P.S. Happy Birthday Oba and Uncle Todd!

http://www.amazon.com/Teamwork-Tonka-Town-Sonali-Fry/dp/0439429293


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