I am the only non-”professional” educator in our company Brainy Yak, LLC. I have never sat behind the desk as a teacher. Having kids, however, has forced me to sit AT the desk with teachers several times a year during my teacher conferences. To tell you the truth, I used to get very nervous before any teacher conferences. In the beginning, I felt inadequate at times to be discussing my child’s “educational” progress. After all, they are the “experts”. I have learned, however, that that is a foolish way of thinking. Who knows my child better than I do?!? Parent/teacher conferences are just one way of connecting with your teacher and your school. While at the school, my posse of educators have taught me a few things to look for. Look down the halls…what do you see? Art work? Writing projects? Signs? Where is the gym? The library? While in the classroom, what do you see? A wall of words? A calendar? Has the teacher used a theme in the classroom decor? (I noticed one year a teacher had a boat and tent in her room and had used a camping theme. Very cute!) You can use things like these to start a conversation with your child about what they did during their school day. Learn your child’s daily schedule, visit your teachers website, read the newsletters that are coming home about upcoming events at the school. The other thing I highly recommend is to VOLUNTEER as much as you can. For me, it has been a great way to learn more about the school, how the school is run on a daily basis, to meet everyone who works in the building from the custodial staff to the administration. I have had the pleasure to work with just about every type of personnel at my childrens school and it is a wonderful feeling to walk down the halls and be on a first name basis with many of the people I meet. When my child talks about going to the library, I can ask him if Mrs. Edwards (the librarian) helped him pick out a book…and I might add “And didn’t she have on a lovely blue shirt today”? Sometimes I will get a look of shock from my kids because I knew someone’s name, much less what they were wearing that day…it’s nice to surprise them every now and then and to let them know that I am very interested in what is going on at their school and what is happening during their very busy days at school. It’s all very important.
