Parent-Teacher Conference

Parent-teacher conferences are always a bit awkward.  I'm sure the teacher is nervous about telling a parent what their child's strengths and weaknesses are and can only hope that the parent is receptive to hearing those candid comments about their precious child.  As a parent, I always try to go into these meetings with an open mind.  Although I spend more time with my child than her teacher and have a good grasp of her personality and characteristics, I don't see her relating to 17 other kids her age on a daily basis the way her teacher does, so with all of this in mind I had Hannah's 2nd grade Parent-Teacher conference yesterday.

Overall, no big surprises.  She is bright, academically above grade level, and a social butterfly.  Her "opportunities for improvement" are that she needs to focus more when taking tests and that she has got to control her talking (good luck with that one).  What was surprising is that this teacher said the exact same thing her first grade teacher said to me during last year's conference - "Hannah is a tough nut to crack".  I'm really not sure what that means, but for some reason teachers struggle to figure out my little lady.  I think I was actually able to give him some insight, and I have never felt that before. 

I find that usually teachers have their mind made up about what causes a child to exhibit certain behaviors and anything a parent says is just dismissed.  But this teacher was different.  I felt he truly wanted my feedback and when I gave him my opinion, I swear I saw a twinkle in his eye.  I also got a vibe from him that he genuinely embraces a parent's input and doesn't see parents as intrusive, but as an ally.