Halfway through the second full day of parent-teacher conferences (for the second time this year), I still feel ill-equipped to deal with some of the questions parents here ask me. I’m not sure if it’s because the students are older or because there is a lot of pressure on our students to do well or if it’s simply a combination of the two, but a few of the questions I have gotten in the last two days are:
“What type of after school programming/summer school should I put my 7th grade daughter in so that she is well-prepared for the rigors of high school art?”
“Is there a summer assignment that my daughter can work on for Ceramics so that she is on track for Ceramics II next year?”
“What is the best portfolio format for my daughter to create so that she can get into art school?”
“Is a larger university better than a smaller college if my daughter would like to go into art as a career?”
I can talk a blue-streak about effort, creative problem-solving, striving to reach their personal best, completing work on time, etc. but I have no idea what types of summer school/college advice to be giving these kids! I’m lucky that I only get a few parents who stop in for conferences, because two full days of this would leave me feeling like a complete idiot!