Conference Nights
Late October and early November brings about that time of the year when the school is jam-packed with families awaiting to hear how their children are doing in school. This evening was my first evening of parent-teacher conferences, and it was a nice opportunity to meet with the parents to discuss what things are going well and what things we need to work on. For many of the conferences, this was our first real opportunity to have a meaningful discussion about current progress (there are, obviously, instances that have required additional communication with parents prior to tonight :-)
I would say the hardest thing about conferences is keeping them to the 15 minute time periods that they are scheduled for. On top of reviewing how things are going in class, we also need to discuss the district assessments that we have completed. Including these along with any questions or concerns parents may have about work that was in the students portfolios, and that 15 minutes is done in a flash.
Leading up to the conferences, I always wonder what they are going to be like. Are the parents going to see the same concerns that I do? Are they going to have major discussion points that weren't on my radar? Are they going to be pleased with the way that I have been instructing their child? Is there going to be a younger sibling who is wreaking havoc on my room while we are trying to have a productive conversation? (luckily there weren't any issues with that last one this year :-)
I would say, overall, that the conferences went very well this evening. I don't think there were too many surprises involved, and it seems as though I have some parents who want to be proactive in helping their children achieve their goals. One of the most common questions during conferences is, "What can we do at home to help?" This year I was very prepared for this question. I have to give big thanks to my colleague Laura Gustin at this point, as she put together a nice informational sheet for the families (she altered a sheet she received from her 2nd grade son's teacher to make it more 3rd grade appropriate--as everyone knows, teachers "borrow" good ideas from each other). If you haven't already had conferences, I am attaching a copy of the document. Feel free to use/alter it.
Conference Letter: How Can You Help
I have the rest of my conference next Tuesday night, so hopefully they go as well as this evening's.
Mindfulness thought for the week: Be a friend to make a friend.
Some of my students have been having difficulties with being kind to others, so I thought this would be a beneficial idea for the week.
I would say the hardest thing about conferences is keeping them to the 15 minute time periods that they are scheduled for. On top of reviewing how things are going in class, we also need to discuss the district assessments that we have completed. Including these along with any questions or concerns parents may have about work that was in the students portfolios, and that 15 minutes is done in a flash.
Leading up to the conferences, I always wonder what they are going to be like. Are the parents going to see the same concerns that I do? Are they going to have major discussion points that weren't on my radar? Are they going to be pleased with the way that I have been instructing their child? Is there going to be a younger sibling who is wreaking havoc on my room while we are trying to have a productive conversation? (luckily there weren't any issues with that last one this year :-)
I would say, overall, that the conferences went very well this evening. I don't think there were too many surprises involved, and it seems as though I have some parents who want to be proactive in helping their children achieve their goals. One of the most common questions during conferences is, "What can we do at home to help?" This year I was very prepared for this question. I have to give big thanks to my colleague Laura Gustin at this point, as she put together a nice informational sheet for the families (she altered a sheet she received from her 2nd grade son's teacher to make it more 3rd grade appropriate--as everyone knows, teachers "borrow" good ideas from each other). If you haven't already had conferences, I am attaching a copy of the document. Feel free to use/alter it.
Conference Letter: How Can You Help
I have the rest of my conference next Tuesday night, so hopefully they go as well as this evening's.
Mindfulness thought for the week: Be a friend to make a friend.
Some of my students have been having difficulties with being kind to others, so I thought this would be a beneficial idea for the week.
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