Meetings are often unstructured and end up drifting from one subject to another without any rhyme or reason. Still others are of the opinion that too often school visits are meaningless to parents since teachers do not always provide specific suggestions for parents to help their children. Teachers speak in generalities and a few make little sense when it comes to what is expected from me or my daughter. A father recommended that a format be developed for teachers to use in their presentations to parents for Back To School. Teachers should be given guidelines and trained on how to prepare a meaningful presentation.
Teachers are so different.
A single parent called from work to tell me how insensitive and ignorant I am at not understanding her plight and others in her shoes. You have no idea as to what I go through every day and you complain why I do not attend school functions. I don't want your sympathy. I must confess that, in retrospect, my column on the need for greater parental involvement in school functions was less than sensitive. I was touched and humbled by the unexpected responses from many caring, hard working, and concerned parents.