Conferences: round two

Yesterday and today were parent-teacher conferences, two days worth. I got to skip out on today because I was teaching the kids (it's supposed to be one day, so Monday was a no-school day). I'm not sure who got the better end of the deal.

The whole idea of the 5th/6th grade team (6 teachers!) sitting around a table, waiting for their next victim, is a little nerve-racking for parents. It's a lot to take in and handle. A lot of feedback. I didn't say much. I listened. I contributed when I had something really different to add, but otherwise I was just an awkward extra body.

Oh! The parents! Such kvetchers! Some of them, most of them, are actually very nice. But others, oy. It's like being in the room with a helicopter and the blades don't stop whirring and you move out of the way so they don't slice your face off, but you move too slow.

And by the end of 7 hours of conferences (one 20 minute break), my mind was pretty loopy. Like being high. High on words.