Parent-guardian-teacher conferences have always served as a barometer of how things are going.

Not the only measure, but an important one.

More so now than in-person because parents and guardians are present in my classroom 24/7.

The hear me.

They see me.

They know when I’m frustrated.

They hear our laughter.

They hear our silence.

Every year, at this time of the year, the kids find their voices.

Every year if feels like we’ll never get here and yet we do.

Every.

Single.

Year.

And just like PP (pre-pandemic), today has been an opportunity to celebrate so many things.

We celebrate the many ways that we have grown comfortable with each other.

We celebrate all of the effort it has taken to get to where we are.

We celebrate growth and the resilience of students and their families always, but especially during this pandemic.

We celebrate everything we have learned, even though we are online.

We celebrate children’s growing independence.

We celebrate their accomplishments as we plan for next steps.

Because at the end of the day, these are the celebrations that matter.

These are the celebrations I will keep close to my heart next week and the week after and the week after that.

Cross posted to The Two Writing Teachers March Slice of Life Story Challenge.