Feeling Grateful

Today I had my first ever parent teacher conference.

For almost 40 minutes, M's teachers and I sat in a room and talked about his experience in school. They had taken copious notes and obviously took the meeting very seriously.

I have always felt grateful to my son's teachers. Being a full-day preschool teacher seems to me to have to be one of the most difficult and challenging jobs imaginable. The physical labor is exhausting - and the mental energy it requires is just mind-blowing. Just getting the kids fed and in their cots each day is a major accomplishment. Each of the 15 children in the class is a handful on his/her own. Each of those 3-year olds has his/her unique set of challenges. And when you put all in one room every Monday-Friday? Wow.

But today my gratefulness level reached a new height. What came through in our meeting was how deeply they care about my child and are invested in his happiness and growth. They take his development extremely seriously, as well as their role in it. It was an honest, caring, and loving exchange.

I feel deeply indebted to them.