Book presentation

Thursday was the day of Rachel's big book presentation. I came five minutes late, so I missed the first kid who had done hers, but I was there in plenty of time to see Rachel.

It was interesting to see the other kids do theirs. Several seemed to have rehearsed beforehand, and dressed up for the occasion, and their presentations were very polished and informed. That's when I realized that a) I should have gotten up early that morning to supervise Rachel's clothing and hair; she wore a pair of jeans that had holes in them, and her hair looked like she hadn't brushed it; and b) I should have insisted we rehearse, or that she talk more about the book she read (it was about pyramids) to us beforehand. That caused a whole reexamination of my thinking -- that I should take a more active role in her learning, which Drew takes care of most of the time because of my work schedule, which is nights but also days for reporting, writing and pitching stories.

Rachel did a good job, although she seemed a little shy and soft-spoken. She was way better, however, than at least two of the boys, one of whom, when asked by Ms. Burke if he could say something about the volcano he had built, said he preferred not to. His mother, who was off to the side, had to coach him through the whole thing.

Real grades start next year, so I'm hoping to be much more involved in Rachel's education in the fall.