Conference Time


As parents prepare for their 15 minutes of time with the teacher, I'm sure a wide range of opinions are discussed in the house, from 'why do we need to meet anyway?' to 'do you think 15 mintues is enough time?' to 'who's the teacher again?' - from where I sit as a teacher to what I feel as a parent, the full range is experienced. As a teacher, I look forward to meeting with the parents and sharing all the work and progress that we've had in class. Sharing their child's success is enjoyable and getting the 'otherside' of the child from the parent's perspective is always helpful. I'm scheduled to be in my class for 'X'-amount of hours to meet with parents. I plan for it. I'm there. I'm more than willing to talk. As a parent, I'm competely the opposite. You mean I have to leave my comfortable chair at home, where I have everything I need (remote control, foot rest, small throw pillow, and snacks), leave the house, and go to the school to talk about my child; who is now at home sitting in my chair, drinking my soda, eating my snack, and losing my remote control to some cushion to be determined at a later date! And, don't forget I have three kids which means I have more time devoted to listening to the teacher(s) talk. Of course, let's also not forget the standing in the hallway because a conference just ran over. For me, as a parent, the words 'let's go to a conference' and 'let's go shopping' have the same familiar ring to them. My wife, on the other hand, likes to do both - it's fun for her. I feel I have a handle on the growth of my kids, and what could a conference tell me that I don't already know?

Are you getting enough information? As a parent, do you feel that the communication between school and home is adequate? Do you feel that you have a handle on your child's development? Is there something missing that you wish you knew about your child's education? Do you have daily, weekly, monthly feedback? If the answer to these questions are yes, then what is it that you are looking for out of a conference?

As a parent, I want to get that one intangible - I want to hear the teacher's take on my child's social life in a large group setting - the class. Do they interact? Are they kind, respectful, polite, funny,....is it what I see at home or are they completely different at school. But then,.... what if I don't necessarily like what I'm hearing the teacher say? I might get a little defensive deep down and think 'Who is this teacher to judge my kid.' It's a fine line of what I want to hear and being careful of what I want to hear because I might get something I wasn't looking for.

Conference time summed up. It's about interaction. It's about face to face time with teacher and parent. It's about the delicious treats set out in the hallway. It's about getting in conversation every aspect of educational and social development within the right amount of time alloted. And in good teacher fashion..... I look forward to seeing you soon! In good parent fashion (and if your like me), I'll try my best to be brief, to the point, and get you back in your chair at home. In good parent fashion, if your like my wife, we'll have some fun and laughs along the way.

The First Rule of Winning - What's Stopping YOU

Motivaional speeches aside - the winning attitude has taken it's licks in a society where winning has become an all or nothing endeavor (from youth sports to the professionals). Why? Since when did having a winnning attitude become a bad thing? Why is it that we look for non-competitive arenas for children to succeed (or at least feel as though they have) - did we lose our sense of being a kid at some point? I remember the sting of losing as a kid - I also remember that sting lasting all the way to the ice cream store or when a team parent opened up the cooler full of treats. Just as in losing, I remember those moments of victory.

Winning and losing are life lessons. Character is determined by how you handle each. How are students to develop a sense of character when they are sheltered from the competition and from the win/loss finality of it all. In coaching, I've had teams that should not win and do, and I've had teams that should not lose and do. In both situations I have been pleased to see character developing in these young people. It's great just to be in competition and to have the fortitutde to want to succeed.

If there's one thing that must take top priority in a winning attitutde, it's the 'what's stopping you' part. You are to be measured by yourself. Not by a teammate or another team. You are to first be measured by you. How much better can you be than what you were a day ago? How much better can you compete than you did a day ago? How much more do you want to succeed than you did a day ago? What's stopping You?! A winning attitude is a wonderful thing that motivates us, drives us, and eventually compells us to go for more. You can see this winning attitude everywhere, in any situation. The real question is, can you see it in you; and what are you going to do about it?