Parent Teacher Conferences (Pt 1): How to make them work for your child
Surveys show that parent teacher conferences can be big stress producers. They can also be extremely helpful and important to your child. So let's take a crack at cutting back on the stress and pumping up the positives.
A parent teacher conference can help answer your questions: Is my child getting along well with his or her peers and teachers? Is he or she struggling with math? And what exactly are grades supposed to measure? A parent/teacher conference gives you the opportunity to meet and get to know your child's teachers, ask those questions, exchange information about your child and discuss how you can work together to improve your child's progress at school.
Like anything else, the more effort you put into such a meeting, the more you'll get out of it. A little pre-planning can make all the difference.
Before the conference, talk with your child and find out his or her opinion on how school is going. Compare your child's views with the teacher's evaluation during your meeting. Any misperceptions your child has could lead to unpleasant surprises when report cards arrive.
Write down your questions in advance to keep the conference on track and professional.
If possible, both parents should attend the conference. Having both parents present builds a stronger partnership and better communication between home and school. If one parent can't attend, be sure he or she writes down any concerns for the other to raise during the conference. It's important for separated or divorced parents to make an effort to put aside differences for the conference and focus only on their child.
Freely communicate any goals and expectations you have for your child with the teacher. And if the teacher says something you don't understand, ask. As with any profession, teachers have their own jargon and sometimes tend to slip into educational terminology. Do not be embarrassed to ask for clarification when needed.
It's also important to find out what you as a parent can do at home to help your child do well at school. Before you leave, summarize the plans you and the teacher have made to help your child. That helps eliminate the chance of misunderstanding.
Try to be on time and know the time limitations on the conference. Regardless of the length, the teacher probably has other parents waiting. Approach the conference with a positive, cooperative attitude. Teachers want to work with you and your child. The best way to do that is for the child, teacher and parent to form a team to make sure the child achieves at the highest possible level.
Check out Part 2 of Parent Teacher Conferences for some specific questions you might want to ask and some additional ideas for what you can do after your parent teacher conference.
