I just finished the first round of parent-teacher conferences for this year.
They went really well. For the most part, families and children are happy at school and the children are excited about the activities I am inviting them to engage in.
An increased or new-found interest in reading and writing were high on the list, which always warms my heart as that is important to me as a teacher: we read and write all across the day as well as during workshop times.
The fact that all of the conferences were so positive has given me the energy I need to push ahead through, what has so far been, the most exhausting and challenging year I’ve ever experienced as an educator. Seeing my students’ happy faces, sans masks, was a treat in itself. It filled me with joy and reminded me why I do this job in the first place.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving in Canada. It’s a time to reflect on everything we’re grateful for and, for teachers, to rest and spend time with family. But it is also a time for me to re-energize, reflect and plan ahead.
Where a few weeks ago I was feeling defeated, I am now feeling hopeful as I gradually regain the joy I’ve been missing every time I step inside my classroom.
Cross posted to The Two Writing Teachers Tuesday Slice of Life Challenge.
Elisa Waingort 
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