Just had our parent teacher conference yesterday and of course, it's no surprise that I love this education. What really warmed my heart yesterday was that the teacher spoke to me about the 9-year change. Oh, it's real.
And what he said was, "I can see that the 9-year change is coming earlier these days. Usually you don't see signs of it until the latter part of 2nd grade or even mid-3rd grade but I see it in these kids. I see it in D. She still greets me with a big smile but not like in 1st grade when she would bound up with loads of energy and practically throw herself at me. Now she kind of keeps her distance. It's still a warm greeting but it's a little reserved."
That warmed my heart because it feels so good to know that this teacher is like an extension of our family. He is watching D grow with a perceptive eye and we are tracking her growth together. The development of a child is not just about academics and it seems in today's conventional society, all you ever watch for is the academic growth in your child once they are in school. And that is such a miss. There is so much more depth in a human being. I love that he pointed out her reservedness. I love that the Waldorf curriculum and its teachers are so in tune with child development. They forewarn us of what's to come. He has not gone into depth about the 9-year change, but the child becomes more aware of their individual being. She questions us. She is always asserting herself with us. It can be perceived as "back-talking" or it could be perceived as questioning what once was considered "the end all be all." What parents said was gold. No questions asked. Now they are asking questions. I feel like there is a fine line between letting that development unfold and squashing it as "backtalk". We will see how this pans out.
I am looking forward to diving deeper into the 9-year change.
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