smart

I've ALWAYS known that Andrew is a smart kid.  Yeah, he doesn't try very hard, do extra work, or write neat, but the way his brain works makes him very intelligent. He had the same teacher the past two years and he goes to a school that gives out long, detailed report cards with mostly just number grades (1 through 4, 4 being the best you can get).  Andrew has never gotten a 4, even in math, even in PE, even in Art.  I can understand the behavior 3's since he talks to much, doesn't sit still, stuff like that, but when a kid knows all his time tables, gets 100 on his spelling tests, does all his homework, I just figured the teacher must just be a hard grader.  But last year, after school was out, I was able to talk to another parent about the report cards in the class and her daughter DID get a bunch or 4's.

And then this summer we got the results of the state testing, and let's just say, if I went by those results I would think that I had a really dumb son. 

Then this year began, and Andrew was not in the "top" math group, so in the back of my mind, I started believing the low scoring report cards and test scores. 

Then yesterday, Andrew came home with A LOT of HARRRRRRRRD math homework.  He was working on stuff in a different book than the weeks before.  Then he told us, he was moved up to the Pre Algebra group.  He's going to have 3 weeks of catching up to do and will have a lot more (and more difficult work) to do, but I am really proud of him and my faith in my thoughts that he IS smart was restored!