On the other side of the table

As a school administrator, meeting with parents about their child's progress is something I do all the time. It is rarely a source of stress, although sometimes there is a need to discusss "difficult" situations. As a teacher, I participated in formal parent/teacher conferences at least twice a year. Parents would schedule a time on evenings set aside for that purpose and we would meet them back-to-back, one after another. Most were routine - strengths, areas for improvement, reasons for grades, behavior, etc. Since I became a principal almost 8 years ago those "difficult" conversations have happened much more often. Generally, if I am in a meeting it is because the teacher needs some back-up and support as he or she shares something that might be hard for a parent to hear. This is the perspective (and concern - was I going to hear something bad?) I had today going to my first parent/teacher conference on the other side of the table.

I met with Miss Diana, Grace's preschool teacher today during lunchtime. I prepared a handful of questions before the meeting just in case I needed them, but my intention was to try to listen a lot to make the most of our 30 minutes together. My hope was to learn some things about Grace, to find out if her teacher thinks she is developmentally on track, and to get some ideas of things we should be working on together at home.

Let me say once, again....Grace is perfect. She is an awesome, amazing kid and I am so lucky to have her in my life. Miss Diana told me that she is doing great. In some areas she has seen a lot of progress since Grace started there in January. She used to prefer not to get her hands dirty with paint, glue, etc. but now she jumps right in to participate in those sensory activities. She had been really quiet, but lately Grace has been babbling a lot. Miss Diana said that this morning she was "talking" so much. I wonder if she was telling her teacher about her vacation! Grace also loves to pretend play now, especially with the kitchen (Thanks Aunt Nancy and Uncle Chris!) and with the baby dolls. Miss Diana said she is persistent and will finish a project to the end. She really likes to do the collage art projects and will try to make hers like the teacher's sample.

In some areas Grace is developmentally right on target for her age. Her gross motor skills (once a concern for us when she first came home last March) are great. She can walk on a line and throw a ball. She can name a bunch of body parts, can take her shoes off, is learning to do her zipper, and holds her crayon and spoon as would be expected for a toddler. Grace is starting to interact with her peers, playing alongside them, hugging certain friends when they arrive at school, and waving to everyone when she leaves for the day. Grace is really good at remembering the daily routine and she knows the movements that go along with certain songs they sing together.

Melissa and Doug Stack and Sort

As I expected, there are some things we need to work on like: counting, sorting objects, recognizing colors, learning to say her name, identifying big and little, and puzzles. Grace is not great at sharing which really doesn't surprise me since at home she doesn't have to share with anyone! (Don't get any ideas....that does not mean I am going to start considering a little brother or sister!) But I am already looking at some new toys that can help us in these areas! Her birthday is coming, you know!

Manhattan Toy Co. Counting and Sorting Farm