Where my brain went

Sometimes, I worry.

So last week, when I checked my email before school and say a message from a parent that simply said,

Adrienne,

My husband and I would like to meet with you.  Do you have time on Friday, January 31, 2020 at 4:30?

I worried.

Had I done something wrong? Had I said something wrong?

The day before we had begin a discussion of Hammurabi’s code by talking about justice and fairness. My classroom read aloud is Kate Messner’s Breakout and we had tied Hammurabi in to some of the problems with the criminal justice system she talks about in the book. Had I shown my liberal bias and upset a conservative family?

I sent an email back suggesting an alternative time and ended simply with

Could I as what you would like to meet about. I like to come to parent meetings with the information I need, whether that is grades, curricula, etc.

I worried as I drove to school. I asked the Math teacher if he’d received an email from the family. He had not. The Science teacher wasn’t in yet. I stewed and set off in search of an administrator. If I had done something wrong, I wanted an admin present.

I found the VP who is my direct supervisor and we had a great discussion about race. The night before, he attended a district sponsored conversation about race and found it so powerful that he was hoping to get the recording and share it with staff.

I felt a little better and set about getting ready for the day. I checked my email and I’d heard back from Mom. My new time suggestion worked for them – and they wanted to talk about grades.

Somehow, with all the hullabaloo in my brain, I’d forgotten that report cards had been sent home. Until this year, middle and high school report cards were mailed from Central Office. It took almost two weeks from the time I posted my grades until families received their copy in the mail.  This was the first time they were sent electronically, so I had no idea families had received them.

I relaxed.

When the family came we had a wonderful conversation. Their child was actually doing fine in my class and I had a few suggestions on what to do better. There were a lot of laughs, too.

I don’t know why my brain always goes to the worst case scenario. I am going to file this experience away and hope that, the next time a cryptic email comes from a parent, I give myself some credit for being a good professional.