Parent Teacher Conferences

So I did it! I made it to a very important date here at Emma Willard - Parent Days. After being away from their little darlings for about a month and a half the parents arrived in full force. Classes and hallways were packed on Friday as parents were shuffled from one class to the next by their daughters. I can't believe that I pulled of teaching yesterday. When asking about how to plan for the Parent Days classes one teacher told me that you should save your best show for that one day...in other words it needs to be your best class ever taught. Well you could say I felt a lot of pressure as a someone who is doing crash course in teaching by doing. So honestly as this day was coming nearer it still wasn't clear to me that I was comfortable if front of my own students (Spanish II is definitely better than Spanish I, which I just started a week ago) so how was I going to feel settled in front of their parents, the one paying putting down the big bucks for a top notch education. I mean I just began teaching 3 weeks ago and now i have to give them my best show? You mean I have to act as if it's completely naturally, normal, and comfortable and as if I don't want to vomit every time when kids give me blank stares back? as if really know what the heck I'm doing up there with that chalk?

Okay, so it hasn't been that bad. Actually, according to Marilyn, who's been observing my classes, I'm doing very well. She told me that i have a wonderful way of bouncing back. By that she was refering to the way I have disaster classes (like my first and second classes with Spanish 1 where I was sweating buckets just trying to explain how to write and say the numbers 11-100....it's not as easy as you think!) but then I will fix it and get it right by the next class. I'll take that as a compliment. I guess I'm determined not to fail at this teaching thing because it's the education of 24 girls that I'd be messing up. that's not to say that I won't let myself make mistakes but rather I'm committed to make this an experience where I learn and improve every day from each class. I'm realizing that maybe I'm learning as much about teaching as the students are learning about Spanish. I give kudos to all my teachers that I've had because this is no easy job. In order to teach Spanish I have to learn it all over again in a completely different way. I know how to count from 1-100 but how do I explain it to people who have never heard, seen, or written those numbers?

anyways, this is a great experience that I'm having here and the conversations that I had with parents during their conferences on saturday went really well and reassured me that I am in my right place. people are responding well to what I have to offer and that is what truly matters. more to come later.....