We just finished our parent-teacher conferences and the attendance was outstanding. I know parents are pulled in a dozen different directions no matter when we schedule an event at school, so I’m always thankful when they take time to sit down and discuss their child’s education. And this is my first chance to examine family dynamics and get clues about the parents’ expectations of kindergarten.
We’ve had a few behavior problems this year and some challenging situations involving personalities, so it was reassuring to me to find out that all of my parents are in agreement about finding solutions to the problems. They are all aware of their responsibilities and we talked about their child’s ability to make better choices. This is a difficult age for many parents. Kindergartners are still cute enough to prompt us to help them -sometimes too much-and yet they are old enough and capable enough to exhibit some self-control and discipline. So we should expect them to take some responsibility for their own behavior. I always tell my students, “If you know better, then do better.” After a rocky first quarter they are settling down to business!
I hope that parent-teacher conferences also give my parents the opportunity to ask questions, and assess how I approach my responsibilities as their child’s teacher. I want them to feel confident that while I have high expectations for achievement, I also understand that this is a difficult transition for children and may be their first real experience with work, procedures, and following directions. It is so important to me to set a good foundation for their future!
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