The first couple of years for new teachers aren't easy.

And one of their biggest challenges can be working with parents, and making them believe brand-new teachers are capable of the job.

"I don't think I was worried, but I want to know if a parent does have a problem," said Staci Nix, a new first-grade teacher at World Language Academy. "Whether it's something I did or not, I want to know exactly what the parent's needs and concerns are."

Julie Brown, a Flowery Branch resident whose son Alex, 7, is in Nix's class, said she was a little concerned at first when she found out Nix was a new teacher.

"With first-year teachers, you get a lot of concern about their management and discipline in the classroom," she said.

But not with Nix.

"She makes it very easy because the children understand and know what they should be doing. She's a very hands-on, loving teacher," Brown said. "I'm amazed that it's her first year."

Lori Branam, a Gainesville resident with a son in Nix's class, said she wasn't concerned at all because of her past experiences with World Language teachers and administrators.

"(Nix) really focused on each child's needs," Branam said. "She's reached out to me numerous times. Most importantly, (my son, Joel, 7), comes home and says, ‘Ms. Nix is very nice.'"

An important part of parent-teacher interaction is conferences. Nix's first round of parent-teacher conferences were about two weeks ago.

"I had a lot of parents come and show up. It was nice to meet with those parents, and whether their child is struggling with something or not, I was able to touch base with each parent and say, ‘this is where your child is at,'" she said.

"We're working together on the betterment of their child. They're not going against me, and I'm certainly not going to be going against them."

Parents set up appointments for conferences with Nix.

She also addressed issues her students were having in their Spanish science and social studies class.

Nix has three parents who don't speak English. For those conferences, the Spanish teacher was able to act as a translator.

"I do a little bit of everything. I make them aware of how their child is behaving in class, whether good or bad. Any kind of issue, whether it's behavioral or in a certain subject, I bring that to the table," Nix said.

"I say, ‘This is an area your child is struggling with right now. I need you to help at home, to work with the child and I'm going to do my best working with them at school.'"

Flowery Branch resident Stephanie Morgan was one of the parents who conferenced with Nix about her daughter, Abigail, 6.

"She went over how our children are doing in class, if they're progressing with reading and math skills and also social skills," Morgan said.

This semester, students don't typically come to parent-teacher conferences. Nix said that's because she feels she can be more open with the parent when the child is not there.

In January, however, World Language Academy's first-graders will be leading the conferences themselves, following a model done in upper-grade classrooms.
"We're going to practice," Nix said.

"They'll have almost like a script where they'll write in what they're good at, why they're good at it. They'll have work samples to show their parents."

She said the student-led conferences will be more structured in her class than in the older students'.
Carly Womack-Wynne, chairwoman of the Department of Education at Gainesville State College, said the school teaches education students how to handle parent-teacher conferences.

She said education majors are instructed to sit with parents rather than at desks, not to use "education-ese" and make sure parents understand the breakdown of test data.

"Every child is inherently good. We focus on even a child that presents a challenge in behavior or a behavior pattern, it proves to the parent that you validate that child and think he's important," Womack-Wynne said. "You want the child to be the focus and not the behavior."

Nix said she'd rather parents ask her questions directly. She wants all issues out on the table, if there are any.

Another role parents are seen in is that of "room mother."

Womack-Wynne said the role of room mother is more expanded these days.

"A good teacher is going to try to involve every parent, males and females, over the course of the year so that all children can benefit from their expertise," she said. "(They should be) interacting with children — reading with a child who's struggling, reinforcing math concepts with a small group, doing hands-on things in the classroom."

Friday, parents came into Nix's room to listen to audio of their children reading in both Spanish and English and then read their students' journals.

Nix has two "room mothers" — Brown and Morgan — who help out with classroom duties and help organize class events with other parents.

"They sent out a sheet home to all of the parents asking what they want to help with," Nix said. "We have field day, something in the spring festival, all the big events, then helping with class parties or reading to the students. ... It's really awesome. I don't think every classroom has that, but I was blessed with awesome parents."

Womack-Wynne said at the end of the day, it is important for parents to realize they, too, play a role in their child's education.

"If the teacher says he needs to read 20 minutes at night, make sure the TV is off, the video games are put away and he's doing his homework," she said.

Parents are the ones setting an example, Womack-Wynne said.

"I'm teaching as much as I can to this child and if they don't ever do it at home, they're going to learn that material," Nix said.

"I don't rely on them learning the material they do at home. I teach every day to the extent of, ‘This child is going to walk out knowing how to do this concept, and what they're doing at home is reinforcing that.'"