What Not to Write on a Child's Report Card

Last week, while my parents were putting away Christmas decorations, they came across a box, shoved to the back of a shelf,  which contained what my dad would call "memorabilia" and my mom would call "crap."Amongst these treasures were some things that they saw fit to send to my house to live, the bulk of which was a collection of schoolwork and report cards from several grades. The list of comments that follow are all quoted directly from my first grade report card, the 1980-81 school year.I was really wanting to write a whole rant about each of these comments. They really made me upset when I started looking at them. I called my father and while I yelled and cried he laughed...saying this teacher and my mom, Sue, never really saw eye to eye. Am I crazy or are some of these comments really inappropriate?! Now I know our education system has changed a lot. I know that if I as a 2012 teacher put a student's desk out in the hall and closed the door like my 5th grade teacher to me, that I would be fired. But still...

• "She is such a delight when she is absorbed in what we're doing, but she has very little self discipline when it's a less pleasurable task."
• "Sue, You asked not long ago how different J. was from the other classmates? I conclude, very different! She thinks beautifully and has great ability, but public school will possibly be increasingly difficult for her style."
• "I told Dale that Jessica either wore me down or she's changed because I have really enjoyed her this last nine weeks."
• "If I've prepared her in any way for next year, it's been worth our struggles."
• "She has taught me a lot and I feel privileged for the experience."
• "I look for her to be something great someday."
• "For the flowers, the candy, the party stuff, and your constant support, I've never felt so special."
• "Please call me at anytime in her school career if you need me."

 Here is the punchline...a few days ago a fellow teacher told me that one of her Facebook friends recognized my name and knew me from Randolph County. She said that she knew my dad also so I just figured it was someone who knew my dad, as everyone in NC public school system seems to. But my friend kept emphasizing the fact that the woman said she knew ME. As soon as she said the woman's name...I knew. It was the teacher who had written these comments 30 years ago. She still remembered me...and no wonder, right?! Now the last comment she put was to call her any time. She's living here in the mountains now. Think she'd be up for a student/teacher conference? I have some questions for her.