Week 12- Parent Teacher Conferences, New students, and After-school activies

     Last Wednesday was my very first parent teacher conference! It was definitely stressful but very enlightening! We had every spot filled except for one. I was surprised that many of the spots were taken by the parents that we often see or speak to on a normal basis. I find this interesting because the students who were struggling the most, the parents have had little to no contact with me or my mentor teacher. I often wonder the student's poor behavior (which leads to poor grades), is a result of a parent not taking an interest in their child's learning or if the parents have so many other things going on that the parent not participating is by necessity to other things, not by choice.
     I really feel like these students can learn, and they often surprise me with some of their insightful responses. The parents all had worried looks when they were able to look at report cards. I know the parents worry about how their students do academically and many mentioned behavioral concerns as well. I was also surprised at the number of parents who asked for suggestions on what to do with the student at home. This made me happy to see parents reinforce and support teachers' efforts that they make during the school day.
     Parent teacher conferences also provided a deeper explanation for why a student may be acting a certain way in class that you were clueless about beforehand. For example, one student had been talking more often, being more defensive, etc. and it turns out she's struggling with her parents arguing over a divorce and moving. Also, I'm noticing that all the girls are going through a developmental change, which makes for awkward conversations and very emotional pre-teen girls. I'm beginning to question how teaching middle school would be with all of these changes going on in both males and females. I would definitely like to learn more about how I would interact in a middle school atmosphere.
     We also have a new student! I am always interested in the situations that students come to a new school with and what led them to change schools midway through the year. This particular student's family needs financial help, which is not uncommon in my PDS, but I'm struggling with teaching these students when they have so many other needs going on in their lives. What can we do as teachers to meet the needs of our students when they come from situations that we can't control? I guess the most that we can do is provide them with a place to feel safe, secure, and cared for. Only then can we expect students to focus on their learning.
     Today, the intern across the hall and I stayed for Tech Kids. I was impressed that so many students wanted to stay after school and learn more about science, math, and technology. The Tech Kids program brought students in from WVU Lunabotics program. The students were SO excited and wanted to ask questions and touch the invention.





     Tomorrow is Halloween! I'm so excited mainly because the students are so excited. It's infectious! The 5th grade team is dressing up as minions from Dispicable Me. I think it's great that the team really is a unified team that participates in things together, even something as small as a Halloween costume. The students know they can always come to one of the team teachers and talk about things if another teacher is busy. It's important to depend on (and even have fun with!) the team members that you work with on an everyday basis! I think the more enjoyable you make things for yourself, the students will see how much you love your job and that learning and school can be a place that is fun and creative.