When I was a beginning teacher my Deputy Principal said to me that on Parent Report Evening I could expect parents to come in and say, "tho you thay my thon has a thpeech impediment."
I would have to say that he was quite correct. Very often when you meet the parents you gain a clearer understanding of the student. For better or for worse, children are a product of their upbringing. Their environment during the formative years has a huge bearing on who they are and who they will become in their adulthood. When there is a problem, you can very often trace the root of the cause back to their home life.
Children want boundaries. They want to know what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Of course they will test those boundaries but a strong, loving and consistent approach will prevail in the end. Why some parents don't see this, is an enigma - I guess the answer may lie in their own upbringing.
I am always absolutely exhausted by the end of the evening but it is a positive experience. Parents come in to meet the person that they have heard so much about and to thank you for your work. They seek reassurance and ask advice on all manner of things from how to help their daughter to improve her grades to how to parent - I'm a real authority on the subject!
As for being a teacher, I think the key to success lies in your enjoyment of the profession.
Albert Einstein says it best:
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
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