Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent teacher conferences are an interesting experience on this side of the encounter. I never went to parent teacher conferences with my parents and even if I had, it would have been a short discussion about how I was bright and quiet and they probably just made stuff up because I probably wasn't particularly noteworthy. Even if I had gone, and I had had disruptive behaviour, or some undesirable grades, my parents never would have chewed me out in front of my teacher. I have learned that this is an emerging trend among many busy upper middle class parents. Parents don't check their children's grades until the day of parent teacher conferences, then they come ask what the student can do to make it up, then they chew out their child and then I never see the make-up work completed. I suspect that some parents put on a show for teacher to make me think they are involved and care and will do whatever it takes to get their child's grade up, but when push comes to shove, they do nothing. It's also interesting that more often than not, the students who are doing fine are he ones that show up. I have a huge number of students who are doing poorly in my class, but who won't come to parent teacher conferences. The parents I really want to talk to, don't come!

Well, it's going to be a loooong night! It's actually student led conferences, and they are supposed to do it in their 2nd period classes. I have a 2nd period prep, which means I don't have a class. One class of seminary students are supposed to meet in my classroom, but I don't know any of them. I have parents and students dropping in once in a while to talk to me, but this makes for an extendo night of boredom. If I were more disciplined, I would be planning and grading instead of writing on my blog, but after a long day of teaching and grading and planning already, I'm kind of tired and I would rather just waste time until the highly anticipated nine o'clock hour when I can shut my door and go home!!