Getting the Most Out of Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences. Teachers prepare for them for weeks, writing reports, thinking about what they will say, and preparing for the trickier conversations. As educators, we see each child as an independent individual navigating the ups and downs of growing up. We see great potential in each student, but we also know that each child will eventually face some challenges. 

In fact, that’s why we’re here. We choose to teach because we care about children and want them to be their best selves. Aside from all the practical work of learning how to teach reading and writing and numeracy or a specialized subject like science, P.E., art, or music, teachers fundamentally hope they can change lives. That’s the big draw of being an educator. Nothing prepares teachers for that work, a calling that ironically exists almost subconsciously, embedded in the day to day of preparing lessons, printing handouts, and organizing shelves of materials. Even so, we know your child as separate from you. We see things at school that you might not see at home. We see children trying to “become.”

In that process of becoming, children learn about what comes easily and what is hard. They try on different characteristics as if they were different pairs of socks, and outgrow them just as quickly. They seem to make a new best friend every day, and then report that they’re not talking to each other anymore. Fractions are impossible; fractions are easy. They’re shy; they’re comedians.

We also want to partner with parents to best serve your child’s needs. Children spend the majority of their hours with their families, despite being in school most of the day. You know your child in ways a teacher never can. You hear their most honest thoughts and are there to support them when things take a turn. So, we need each other in our stewardship of becoming.

Teachers are great at supporting students through these evolutions, and as teachers, we have one advantage over parents: we’ve seen all manner of becoming. Whether it’s a Toddler, Preschool, or Elementary classroom, we’ve seen children go through these ages and stages, sometimes by the hundreds. 

So for conferences next week, let’s join together as partners in your child’s growth. We want students to become resilient, confident, empathetic adults. And we’ll get them there together.

David Liebmann, Assistant Head for the Academic Program