As teachers, do you guys find that it's usually the parents you don't *need* to see that show up and the parents who you really do need to communicate don't bother?

Um, YESSOYESABSOLUTELYYES. Pretty much. There are always a couple of outliers.

I think I was a kid who needed her parents to go but I'm not sure the conferences helped. I don't know- perhaps without them I would have been an even worse student.

We always go to conferences, Emily, if that helps. With Jake, it was always the uncomfortable "not living up to potential" and "restless in class/unprepared/" etc., and we had a bunch of good teachers with ideas about how to help at home (not that it worked much, with Jake). With Ben and so far with Sara, it hasn't been necessary in a "what do we need to change" way, but I've always thought it was important to check in and get to know the people teaching your kids. Plus, it's nice to hear good things!

I think that is part of what I don't understand about parents who DON'T make an effort to meet teachers, whether at a parent conference, back-to-school night, or whatever. Teachers are a tremendous influence on our children, both in potentially positive and negative ways. Without knowing the teachers, it is difficult as a parent to know how to help your child frame that influence.

CJ had a horrible teacher in 4th grade. The man would make very disparraging remarks about the kids in front of them. Meeting with him helped me teach CJ that while he needs to respect his teacher and learn as much as he can from him, he doesn't have to listen to every word he said. I was also able to plant the seed about how we will all, at one time or another, end up having teachers/bosses who we don't like, but we still have to find a way to work with them until circumstances change.

My 2 cents. Or maybe by now I'm up to a couple of dollars.

It is so freaking hot in my office! Ugh.

I'll trade you. I am sitting here in a sweater, scarf and a blanket over my legs. I can't eork when it's 65 degrees inside! This is what I get for being in the office on the same AC circuit as the server room. The vents in my office are closed, but freezing air still kinds sneaks in. I am going to bring in plastic and seal the vent off, or I will either freeze to death or complain so much someone will murder me.

I will take that trade! I do best in 65 degree weather, that's what our heat is set at when we are at home.

Graphic design folk, a question.

I was having a discussion with my sorta-boss and I was objecting to something he wants which will, effectively, double the time it takes me to do our monthly journal. After discussion, he said flat out that he considers taking three to four hours for each page is a perfectly reasonable amount of time.

Am I nuts, thinking this is way too much? or is he? (I mean specifically for this - other areas may vary)

SuziQ, good point. Because honestly, some teachers are schmucks. But unless you meet them, you don't know if they're really schmucks or if your kid doesn't like them because they're strict.

Is it terrible that the end of the teaching day makes me wish I still smoked?

so my question for your boss-- where are the extra 10 to 20 hours going to come from?

Not sure what is normal. DH used to do paste up for the homes mag -- and worked his way into computer graphics -- nothing he did took that kind of time, but he wasn't doing anything that had a broad array of options or choices