RE-POST: a million words or less...

this was originally posted on 9.14.2009.  

i thought it might be fitting since it's his birthday today.  

although he continues to experience the same challenges as outlined below, we have seen him succeed in all areas when he really does take the time to put the work in.  legos continue to be the constant interest in his life (better than girls, right??), and it has been a pleasure (ok, and sometimes a challenge, but i think that comes with the teenager territory) to watch him find his individuality and discover who he is.

*****

 
during the first week of school, tyler came home with a bright yellow sheet of paper and handed it to us.

"here. this is your homework," he said with a smile that almost looked like a smirk (i think he thought it humorous that mom and dad got homework and he didn't).

our assignment:

in a million words or less..tell me about your scholar...tell us what you think we should know about your scholar. you could tell us some of your scholar's interests, strengths, areas of need...basically anything you want.

we didn't use a million words, but i thought i would share with you what we submitted to his 7th grade teachers (i think they should do this every year).

Perhaps a million words would not be enough to fully describe all of our son's characteristics and mannerisms. We see him as a unique individual, and words are not sufficient to clearly express how much we love and care for him. The following is our attempt in providing you with a summary of some of Tyler's special qualities.

Since Tyler was a little boy, he has always been filled with a vivid imagination. This particular creative energy especially flourishes when he is doing something he enjoys, such as working with his Legos. The time he spends building and creating with Legos is when we notice his imagination taking flight. Unlike his Uncle Jon, who opts to keep his vast collection of Legos according to their specific sets, Tyler purposefully mixes pieces from different sets to design one-of-a-kind structures, describing in great detail the specific functions of some of the pieces. However, when doing an activity he does not find interesting or perhaps too difficult, his creativity comes to a standstill as he fails to put forth his best effort. It is most noticeable when it comes time for Tyler to complete class assignments that he may find tedious or challenging. Instead of putting the same amount of effort and commitment into his class work as his Lego creations, he is often easily frustrated by the assignment and quick to pass on the challenge by completing the work half-heartedly and as quickly as possible in order to move on to what he deems as more enjoyable activities.

Tyler is a well rounded and social individual. He is active in the school band, our family bowling league, and tae kwon do. He also serves at our church by assisting in the children's nursery and setting up and tearing down before and after the service. He genuinely cares about people and enjoys the company of others. He seems comfortable in relating to people of different ages and has much to add to a conversation once it continues in a direction that interests him. At times, he takes this social quality to a fault by allowing his joy of conversing to manifest during inappropriate times.

In regards to school, we feel Tyler is extremely capable of completing the work assigned to him when he puts forth his best effort. Directing, and at times redirecting, his energy into his studies is a task that can be challenging. Areas of opportunity for Tyler lie in his organization skills, time management, attention to detail, and effort. The keys for success in these areas are to follow-up both at school and at home and making what he is learning both practical and relevant. We consistently check his planner, progress book, and work every night to ensure that he has completed the assignments to the best of his ability.

We think Tyler is a bright young man who is able to achieve anything he puts his mind to. With the full support of his family, he has the potential to succeed in all areas of his life, including school. Although this is merely a small glimpse into Tyler's personality, we hope it will be a starting point for discovering who he is.