Teacher in training...

Parental Guidance optional

Parental Guidance optional

The following week was rather stressful, as teachers were finishing grading the last evaluations of the first semester.

Then Thursday came.

It was the apprehended parent–teacher conference night...

I erased the notes on the board regarding text structure from my last class.

I took a few chairs and placed them near my classroom’s door.

Seeing that many teachers had already done the same; the hallway looked like a waiting room.

This reminds me of the doctor’s office...Okay, that’s kind of a creepy analogy.

I got my bag and closed my classroom’s door.

When I was in the restroom, I removed the olive-green blouse and jeans that I had worn during the day to put on a long navy dress and structured black blazer.

I then refreshed my makeup; a little powder and soft pink lipstick, and got out.

Gavin, Jason, Margaret and Kenneth walked towards me and we all headed downstairs to the cafeteria.

The eating area looked significantly different than it usually did during school hours.

We’re now during the after-school hours. And I have to say the excitement of a 12 hour day is very underwhelming…

The tables had cream coloured tablecloths and there were small bouquets of daisies as centerpieces.

Small champagne glasses were also placed at the left side of each plate.

The room had a certain restaurant atmosphere, and a tasteful one at that!

Avery Dansfield invited everyone to take a seat wherever they pleased and to enjoy the catered chicken plates.

When we were all seated at a table, the principal raised her glass to make a toast.

“Since everyone is gathered here tonight, this means we survived the first semester!” she said jokingly. 

All the teachers laughed at her remark.

“But seriously, I hope that everyone manages to have good conversations with our students’ parents, as there are very important to the learning cycle.

“Enjoy your last moments of freedom!” she said humorously and we all took a sip of the sparkling wine at the same time.

“So is this a typical event-the supper I mean?” I asked my entourage.

Kenneth was the first to answer.

“Every year some kind of version of this happens.” he said in a louder tone than usual as we were easily a hundred in this makeshift restaurant.

“It’s a way for the administration to convince us that starting at 8:00AM and finishing at 9:00PM isn’t as difficult as it seems!” he added in a pretend conspiracy tone.

“But last year wasn’t as elegant as this.” Margaret said smiling at Kenneth after his last comment .

“Right, I remember some of the meat wasn’t well cook! So I was pretty much starving by the end of the night!” her husband added.

“I’m lucky that this is the first supper that I attended then!” I said teasingly.

“Very ‘cause this is the first time it’s really classy!” Jason added.

 An hour later duty called saying that it was now the moment to meet our beloved student’s parents.

Every teacher walked back towards their classrooms.

When I reached mine I saw a mom and her teenage son already waiting near the door.

I invited them both inside.

I grabbed the folder labeled ‘Tomas Atkins’.

He greeted me politely and sat down with his mother on chairs placed next to my desk.

We talked about his improving grades; I proudly showed his last essay on which he got 78% a great improvement from last year when he barely passed English.

I accompanied them to the door and told them goodbye.

I looked at the list of meetings to see who would be entering my classroom next.

I read the name with reluctance ‘Amber Carson’.

Mr. and Mrs. Carson greeted me with a certain uplifting spirit that I hadn’t seen the last time I had seen them.

They informed me that their daughter was significantly better, she was responding well to treatment; gaining awareness the last few days.

The doctor had even said that it was a matter of time before she woke up.

I could gladly see and feel hope as they delivered me the news.

She had missed almost two weeks, so I showed her latest outstanding works to her parents.

She is definitely gifted and very intelligent…in pretty much every discipline!

Amber’s parents and I discussed about the remaining evaluations and the ones that she missed.

The rest of the evening went slowly but relatively well; as good as it can get really…

Since whether or not they want to admit it, parents feel that their children are perfect.

They sometimes-often- lash out to the teacher, not understanding why (insert any student’s name) barely passes the class but he/she says that he/she always does his homework and listens in class …

I know this might be hard to hear but I don’t actually have a secretly kept anger towards your child causing me to give him/her these grades!

That little rant came from having met Mrs. Livingston and her son Zack again. He manipulates his mother without her even noticing…

9:35 PM This evening is officially over... I have a few months to recover before the next one!