Parent Conference #SOL16 Day 9

I conducted parent-teacher conferences for seventeen years.  Although it can be a long couple of days I enjoyed the chance to sit down and get to know my students through their parents’ eyes.  I always made sure to share a funny and/or sweet story with them.  Sometimes a parent would say, “You totally get my child.” I did not understand how good that truly felt until I sat on the other side of the table.

Today we had a parent-teacher conference with our four-year-old’s preschool teacher. We got there five minutes early and debated whether to stay in the car or wait outside the classroom to give others their space.  I didn’t realize as a parent you can feel a little nervous for a conference. When it was our time to go in we were brought to a tiny table and chairs.  I quickly scanned the table and saw a large portfolio pouch and felt excited anticipation about what we would get to see.

What an amazing opportunity this was to get a peek into our child’s day, to get an idea of what our child is like when we are not around.  His teacher was incredibly kind with plenty of funny and sweet stories to share.  The more she talked, the more I realized, “Wow, she totally gets him.”  I felt so grateful that our son is in such a safe, nurturing environment with adults who truly care about him.  It was so evident that his teacher delights in this age group and in our son.

I’ve been a part of these conferences for seventeen years but I’ll always remember this one.  When you feel in your heart that your child is in the right place with caring, incredibly capable adults, you feel at peace.