March 15, 2018
Tonight was conferences, and the end of a long day. So long, in fact, that when parents come in at 7:30 and tell me how nice it was outside, I can't remember when I was last outside (12 hours ago). It was, by all accounts, a lovely day.
I always dread conferences, because the day is so long - this round we had a half day until 11:40, then lunch, then worked until 3, at which point conferences began until 8 - and I worry about what I will say and what parents will do.
At the end of the night, however, I'm always pleasantly surprised by the parents that show up, discuss their children honestly (I love when they recognize the behaviors I'm seeing in class), and share their concerns with me. I think I've been lucky in my career, and perhaps since I was in a different role in the past it affects my perspective, but I usually leave conferences feeling that my students are pretty lucky. I definitely have had parents that need a lot of attention and have concerns or complaints, and not all my students come from perfect homes, by any means. Some have it really hard. But I'm really thankful for those that show up every fall and again in spring.
Let's see if I'm feeling the same way after day 2 tomorrow! Hopefully, I will!
PT Conferences are long for teachers, but I always enjoyed connecting with my families. Have you ever considered student-led? They have been powerful in our school and take some of that load off of the teacher. Wishing you a successful day 2!!
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