Time for Break!

Every single year at parent-teacher conferences I have this situation. As I kindly explain that their student is not on grade level and why that is. They begin to talk over me, make excuses, and tell me why I am wrong. I know I am not getting through to them. I know I am not heard. I know that they probably heard the same thoughts from the previous two years of school and will continue to hear it. They can say the education system failed them. Maybe it has. Maybe that student should have been retained. However, the parent is also failing them by not being realistic about their learning. If they are in denial you know they are not going to have any extra help at home. It makes you sad. The parent has effectively tied your hands. This year I only had a couple of those situations. Overall I think conferences were successful.

Next year we move to student led conferences. The parents share their goals and demonstrate their own learning. I like the idea. I did get a piece of feedback from a parent that went to one this year. They said that multiple parents were at the conference at the same time as they moved around the room from learning demonstration to learning demonstration. The parent said she had questions she wanted to ask and thoughts she wanted to share with the teacher. The parent didn't feel comfortable because there was not any privacy to do so, it left the parent feeling frustrated. I completely agreed that this was important for the parent to have that time with the teacher. I think I may need to share that in private with administration. I didn't think other teachers would be receptive to that. They thought it went better to do conferences this way because they went more quickly. They also said when the students demonstrated their learning parents had less questions about their grades. I think getting conferences done quicker is nothing to brag about. I have a feeling there was a lot of people who felt rushed.

I came home this afternoon and hung out with my little buddy and his big sis. After he had a meltdown the other night about me leaving for spring break I had to make some time to hang with him. We went and bought slushies, chatted about their new gecko, and played games. I also managed to get through a couple of loads of laundry and a load of dishes ran through the dishwasher. I am finishing up the last of my laundry. Then I can begin packing my suitcase. I didn't want to come back to a laundry pile and a sink full of dishes.

I hit the road soon!