I don’t know why I get nervous about parent-teacher conferences.

They usually go well.

My students’ families want to know if their child is doing well in school (if they’re happy, engaged, learning), and if something is not going well, they want to hear about that too. But they want suggestions. They want to know that their child’s teacher, or the school, is doing something about what’s not going well and that there’s a plan in place to support their child.

What I love about these meetings is that, barring any unforeseen circumstance, my students are present and take an active role during these discussions. And, what they say often leads me to try out new ideas or solutions to tricky problems in the classroom that will often benefit all of the children.

Yesterday and today, we came up with strategies to help students focus, attend to goals and explore learning interests that may be a bit outside the curriculum. This solutionary perspective has become one of the most enjoyable aspects of parent-teacher conferences.

Next week, I will be putting some of these ideas into practice.

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