P-T Conferences

It's conference week! I have a love/loathe of conferences. Most times I love being on either side of the desk. I love meeting parents, laughing at the similarities and matching mannerisms that parent/student combos share, and *usually* telling parents that they have pretty awesome kids. I loathe the conferences where parents just want numbers and don't take into account that their child should be working on developing their character as much as that 1 missing point on the test they took 2 weeks ago. On the opposite side of the desk I love hearing about my kids and seeing how teachers view them. I'm not naive to the fact that students often act completely different at school than they do at home, so I like that their teachers can give me a whole new vantage point of the crazy little worlds they live in. 

So, run down of the girls' conferences: Grace is a typical "first child." She sat in her conference and beamed about breaking her reading record...194 wpm at 100% accuracy. She liked hearing all about what a good student she is and is your typical "suck up." She wants to please her teacher, is uber organized, and is seen as a leader in her class. The description from her teacher didn't surprise me in the least...she has always been a people pleaser and likes to do well. 

We then headed downstairs to Emma's conference. After all the "data" - level M in reading, great at Xtra Math, etc - we got the real view of Emma. I had to laugh because she is your typical "middle child." Her teacher praised her skills in being a social butterfly and a good friend to everyone. She shared her new-found secret that Emma is a hoarder. After realizing that her books were sticking half-way out of her desk, a quick clean-out found about 35 pencils, worksheets from September, a sweatshirt, etc. Before the first snow even hit this season we had already lost 2 coats and a pair of snow pants. Organization is the least of Emma's concerns. She's my exact opposite, but the very student that I love to have in class because they liven things up a bit. She's had a few rough patches (outside of academics) but she has handled it with grace.

I love being on the parent-side of the desk during conferences. Though I can usually predict how they are going to go, I like seeing the girls in the hot seat wondering what their teachers might say about them. Grace couldn't wipe the nervous excitement off of her face. Emma looked like she was going to cry, and had a moment of panic rush over her when her teacher outed her that she'd been feeding her carrots from lunch to Lulu the rabbit. All in all, I know the girls are in good hands. Their teachers will help mold them. They'll get to where they need to be. And I love watching every minute of it.