How I Master the Parent Teacher Conference

It's not always easy finding out what's happening at school. Thankfully, parents have help in obvious places when they want to know the real story of what's going on in Academia.

Like other parents, it's my job to keep my little miracles of Christ alive, healthy, and happy. Well... alive and healthy, anyways. It's also my job to make sure things get done around the house. This can also be easier said than done, especially when it comes to the child receiving the instructions about doing things around the house.

Part of my job in keeping the little cherubs alive and healthy is checking in on them after school. I like to know how their day was and what happened. Things every parent does to make sure things outside the home are going smoothly and there are no crises.

Elementary school. One of the sites
where we get to meet the teachers.

Asking your kids what Happened at School

Of course, there are no crises at our home. Everything is "great" and "good". "Nothing" happened. Six hours in a building sitting in front of books and lecturing teachers, and "nothing" happened all day. This is when I start to ask children, specifically The Boy, specific questions. I ask him exactly where did he go upon entering the school. What was the first thing he did upon entering his classroom and sitting down? What were the assignments? Who did he talk to? What did they talk about? These questions extract answers that are longer and contain more information than the previous inquiries. I'm getting the hang of it, and I think the CIA would be so proud.

Understanding what is going on and helping us keep our sanity plays a vital role in keeping our children alive.

As an experienced parent, I have learned methods to figure out what I want to figure out. When I picked up my dear children after school, I learned that threatening to go to the teacher and asking the same questions posed to the kids generally produces an answer more in line with what I'm looking for.

Middle school parent-teacher conference.

How to Find Out what Your Kids are Doing at School

Lucky for you and me, there are allies to help us in making sure out children do well in school and are staying on the straight and narrow path. The teachers at the school play a vital part in giving us the straight news when it comes to what's happening during those six hours in a building in front of books and lecturing teachers. Understanding what is going on and helping us keep our sanity plays a vital role in the primary job of keeping our children alive.

I'm getting the hang of it, and I think the CIA would be so proud.

There is also a special time of year that parents look forward to when it comes to figuring out exactly what the heck is going on at school. Of course, I'm talking about the much-anticipated parent-teacher conference. That wonderful time when I get to sit down and have some real quality time with the teachers of the future of our country and get the real story about what's happening during that magical time between the bus taking my children away and coming back to return them.

This is a great time of year for me, and one that my children, especially The Oppressed, dread. It's the time I threaten to get BFF selfies with the teachers, especially those my daughter don't have anymore, but I felt a certain connection to. It's a time of day when I get to talk to the teachers and swap stories about my dear little ones with teachers and administrators all over the school and learn a thing or two about their typical day. This intelligence can come to be most handy. Again, the CIA would be so proud.

Learning about My Children from the Teachers

The Boy's desk

The Boy is still in elementary school, so he stays in one room and sits at one desk all day. This gives me a chance to check his desk and see if there are any important letters or papers that may have gotten lost on the way to his school bag and then home. I also get rid of any trash that may have been left in his desk and put it in the proper receptacle. I'm not sure where he got this untidiness. Certainly not from his father.

Slugger is another special subject teachers and I love to commiserate about. We love talking about a moody teenager who would rather chew on glass and wash it down with lemon juice than pay attention in class and do homework. The special conversations with his teachers fill in the holes of Slugger telling me school was, "great" and, "Doesn't remember" what happened at school thirty minutes ago. Some of the stories I get are fascinating. They tell of a quiet, respectful boy who doesn't give anyone any problems. This is when I remind the teacher who my child is and I'm there to find out how that child is doing in school.

Children usually know when I have a parent-teacher because I'm putting on new clothes and cologne after getting out of the shower. Humming a happy song to myself, I verbally plan out my route to the school while making sure there is enough time to stop and buy coffee and other gifts for my partners in child rearing and educating. Yes, it truly is a special time of year. It's one that parents look forward to every time. It's a time that children dread, and hopefully makes them reconsider their answers when asked, "What did you do in school today?" 

My audiobook, "Man vs. Nature", is available on Amazon.