Learning how your child is doing at school is important and so is building a good relationship with the teacher. Going to parent-teacher conferences is an important part of this process.
Make Time for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Do your best to attend when there is a parent-teacher night at school. If you can’t make it on the allotted day, see if the teacher can reschedule a time that works for you. If a parent works during the hours that the teacher does, see if a lunch hour date could be arranged or if a set time could be arranged to hold a ‘meeting’ over the phone. If a parent has a number of kids and/or schools to attend and limited time to see them all, divide and conquer. Bring in the other parent(s), guardian, relative or friend to help out. Discuss and supply them with a list of questions and concerns. Split the teachers to see between you, and then compare notes at the end of the night.
Bring a List of Parent-Teacher Conference Questions
Especially if there are multiple teachers to see, make a ‘cheat sheet’ with questions and concerns on it to ask the teacher. You don’t know when you will see them next, so it’s good to get it all out when you have the opportunity. Talk to kids ahead of the meeting about their relationship with the teacher and classmates. Also talk to them about any questions and concerns they have about the subjects they are learning. Look over the work the child has done so far and ask them how they feel they are doing in the class. Then compare this information with the teacher in question to see if everyone is on the same page when it comes to the child’s progress.
Student Progress
We all love to hear that our kids are doing great in class, but it’s not always the case. Talk to the teacher about what is going on in the classroom and provide your perspective and your child’s. Ask the teacher what her ideas for improving the situation are and parents can offer their ideas as well. Things may be going on in kids’ lives outside of class that can impact their school work and attitude, and this is a good time to talk about it with the teacher.
Parents might also have tips for how to get the best out of their children that they can offer to the teacher. Parents can also ask teachers what extra work or support they can offer at home to help a child improve in class. It’s also a good idea to set a time and date to check in again to find out how things are going for your child since this meeting.
Learn About Teacher
The first parent-teacher conference is a great opportunity to set a positive and “lets-work-together” tone with the teacher. Part of this is finding out how the teacher envisions her class. Ask her about how she sets up her classroom, her philosophy about teaching and how she sees the year going. How does she deal with kids that are falling behind and how and when does she usually communicate this? What are her expectations of students in and out of the class? Ask her about what curriculum will be covered and big projects or field trips coming up that parents can be ready for and help out with at home or at the school.
Parent-teacher conferences are important for parents to go to because you can find out how your child is doing in the class and learn more about the teacher. Do your best to make at least the first parent-teacher conference, bring a list of questions and concerns, find out about your child’s progress and discuss ways to work together to improve their performance in class. Also use this time to form a positive bond with the teacher and arrange a time to meet or talk again if needed.
Also check out Parent-Teacher Communication.
Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Topic Editor for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
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