Introduction to The Parent Conference
Hello and Welcome to the first post of The Parent Conference. My name is Mary Ann Cyr and I am the Head of School at the Island Academy of Hilton Head, a high school and junior high school teacher, mother of twins, and grandmother of two wonderful boys. Through the years, I have benefitted immensely from conversations with other teachers and parents about many things – educational and non. In those talks, I have come away with suggestions that have often helped me do a better job as a teacher – and as a parent.
I chose the word “conference” for the title of this blog, not to refer to the traditional parent/teacher conference experience, but more to relate us all to the bigger meaning of conference. When people attend conferences for their jobs, they expect to hear about new ideas, share their experiences, and come away with a few nuggets they can try. So that’s what I want this blog to be for us – a coming together to explore, discuss, try, and evaluate – all things relating to parents and kids. It will be a place where we share what we are concerned about. Sometimes we might talk about the books we have read or the ones my students are reading. On occasion, it will be about technology – how we use it and why, and it will be about the science of learning and how it can help us better help our kids.
So please join me on Wednesdays and tell me what you think. Let me know if you have ideas for topics or if you have questions about anything we’ve previously explored. And please use the Comments section; I’ll archive all our posts and comments so those who join the conversation later will be able to catch up.
Next Wednesday’s post is called “The Gift of a Lifetime.” See you then!
