Mama’s Secret Parent Teacher Conference -

But the moment I sit in that tiny plastic chair across from a woman who has spent 35 hours a week with my child, I revert to a puddle of insecurity.

So I ask the question we all ask, phrased casually as if I’m inquiring about the weather: mama’s secret parent teacher conference

Here is what happens behind the calm smile and the polite nod. The secret starts the night before. I don't sleep well. I find myself Googling, “Is it normal for a 7-year-old to still reverse the letter ‘S’?” I stare at the art projects taped to the fridge, trying to decode hidden psychological messages in the uneven coloring of a cartoon squirrel. But the moment I sit in that tiny

“Wonderful!” I say. Inside my head: Is J good? Is J bad? Last year it was ‘E’. Is J the halfway point? Is the kid in the corner reading Tolstoy at an ‘R’? Should I be buying flash cards right now? I don't sleep well

“He’s performing at a ‘J’ level in guided reading.”

She is your teammate. She doesn’t care if you forgot to send the library book back. She cares if you care.