Conference Confidence

You've got three choices in life: Give Up, Give In, or Give It All That You've Got.-unknown

   I can't believe it is conference time already! Preparing for conferences this year leaves me a little unsure as to what to expect. For the first time in my career, I have to inform parents that their child may not pass third grade based on results of our state mandated reading test. I have given a lot of thought about this and have come to the conclusion that I will approach conferences with the confidence of knowing that I'm a professional dedicated to my students' success.

   I know in my heart that I prepare each child to read using what I know works based on my education, experience, love for what I do, and what has proven to work according  to best practices of education. I'm the expert in my classroom.

  Armed with that knowledge, I can assure parents that together we will help their child succeed. 

  The balance here is to make sure the child is invested, the parents are informed, and the educator has confidence that he/she is the expert. (I know, easier said than done)

  I think it is easy as educators to lose that confidence when blaimed for every societal ill..  (That's as far as I will go on that subject for now.) Remember you are the expert in your classroom, you are the professional, you are the one pouring everything into your job to make sure your kids are successful. Approach each day with that confidence. 

   Whew. Time to stop my rambles.  I give my students a self-evaluation each grading period that I share with parents at conference time. Feel free to download

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   Remember to keep the perfect balance of what works for you in your classroom to help your children succeed. :)