The first six weeks has been gone for sometime now and report cards have been handed back. Monday, many campuses had their parent teacher conferences in DISD. When the parents actually show up, it can be a great opportunity to not only share what their child is doing, but also hear their aspirations for their kids. It's great when they have well developed visions of their students' futures. It's heart warming to hear that they "just want them to be happy." Sometimes it's just heart breaking.
There's one parent that comes to mind from this year's conferences that was positive their child wasn't smart. "Academics aren't his thing." "Sometimes I just don't think his brain works." "He doesn't get a lot of things."
Now I get it. Now I see why this child is so down on himself when he makes small mistakes. He isn't believed in by one of the people he loves and trusts the most. What I explained to that parent was that there is a difference between not being able to identify the most important information from a reading and not being smart. His grades show that he's improving. I'm proud of him and so should both her and her student be. She left relieved. That's a good thing to see in a parent. It should be a positive experience, not negative.
There's one parent that comes to mind from this year's conferences that was positive their child wasn't smart. "Academics aren't his thing." "Sometimes I just don't think his brain works." "He doesn't get a lot of things."
Now I get it. Now I see why this child is so down on himself when he makes small mistakes. He isn't believed in by one of the people he loves and trusts the most. What I explained to that parent was that there is a difference between not being able to identify the most important information from a reading and not being smart. His grades show that he's improving. I'm proud of him and so should both her and her student be. She left relieved. That's a good thing to see in a parent. It should be a positive experience, not negative.
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