I can admit when I’m wrong.

And it takes a real man to be able to do so. 🙂

(I’m hoping my wife reads this demonstration of admitting of my being wrong.)

Last year, when we were told that part of our beginning of the year time would be spent doing intake conferences.

*insert eye roll here*

Intake conferences are parent-led conferences where parents were given several questions about their child at registration. They have a conference time to bring back the answers (or their thoughts about their child), we talk through those questions, and have a conversation about their child from there. When there are 1,329 things to be done before the start of school (more this year because of my beautiful daughters and their travels around), it’s hard to get excited about something that will take time away. Now, people would say that this was put together fairly, to which I have no argument. I counted the hours spent doing the conferences and what our contract reads, and we were spot on for time. However, the start date of school looms large for a teacher, and having that before school time eaten into brings on panic attacks, night sweats, and other things that take away from sleep.

#notthatIknowanythingaboutthat

Anyway, the conferences have come and gone, and I was wrong. These have been quite useful to me in just being able to meet most of my homeroom students and their families. We had some great conversations about learning style, what to expect in 8th grade, and favorite football teams (Go Hawkeyes!). All in all, this was well worth the time involved to simply have a lower stress conversation about kids, one without grades or bullying or any of the school “stuff” that goes on after the first day.

So, if your administrator comes with the idea of some kind of intake conferences before school starts, give them the obligatory eye roll, then listen, and give it a chance.

I’m glad I kept an open mind on it because it will be something to benefit me as we go forward this year!