Conferences...

PTC, Conferences, Parent/teacher conferences, quarter conference.  Whatever you call them they can be a terrifying time of year.  I have been doing them for nine years, usually two per year, and they still make me nervous and apprehensive! 



I usually come through them unscathed but it is the occasional angry parent that sticks in my head and has me whimpering as we near this dreaded time of year.  I have read the articles saying the parents are often more scared than the teacher and that parents have it hard hearing how badly their student is doing.  I recognize those fears but it seems not much is written about how to help the teacher who is traumatized from past experiences...

I am especially apprehensive this year as I will have a great deal more parents to meet with as I will have to be available to speak to any 5th and 6th grade parent who wants to discuss their child's Social Studies grade.  Knowing that any parent who most likely comes into my room whose student does not have me for homeroom is probably upset about the grade their student has earned in my class. 

I know my material and have confidence in how I am teaching it until a parent questions me and then I feel my cheeks flush and my confidence shrink as I try to explain why their student received a failing mark on an assignment.  I feel like they are questioning me and my abilities and that I come up lacking somewhere. 

I'm sorry this blog has no helpful information, it is simply a blog to put out my feelings and beg for any help my fellow teachers might have to help a "head shy" teacher as conferences rapidly approach!

Crystal