Students spend 30–35 hours a week at school. They are challenged and they grow, both academically and socially, too. The drastic changes that happen in one short school year can be seen in those adorable first day of school photos compared to the “Wow, look how much they’ve grown up” last day of school photos that parents take! And teachers are firsthand witnesses to all of it. Having an opportunity to chat with your student’s teacher is like taking a peek into your child’s school life. Get ready for that window into their world; with a little bit of preparation, you can make the absolute most of a parent-teacher conference.
Stay In-the-Know
Plan for success from day one. Hold onto those first-day-of-school syllabi and refer back to them as needed. This detailed outline of the year can help students stay on course while clearly laying out expectations for coursework, grading and more.
In regards to grading, many classrooms have up-to-date digital gradebooks which students, and their parents, can utilize to stay informed. Families can be mindful of their students absences and missing assignments, which could negatively impact a student’s grade. Of course praise can, and should, be given for good grades, but seeing a not-so-great grade is an opportunity to investigate what studying practices might work better the next time around.
Already knowing how your student is doing in class takes away the element of surprise when it comes to the parent-teacher conference. It is true—knowledge is power. Having an idea of your student’s academic performance will allow you to sit back and listen to what the teacher has to say. Which brings us to the next point…
Listen
Really listen. Attempt to actively hear what is being said. This is easy to do when positives are being highlighted. Who doesn’t love a brag session on their child? If constructive criticism is being given, avoid going on the defense and coming up with excuses, or going on the offense and placing blame. Gather information and ask clarifying follow-up questions to confirm understanding. Teachers truly want their students to succeed and having an open conversation will allow for better collaboration between the teacher, the student and their guardians.
Talk
Sometimes in life, what is going on at home can have an affect on how a student is behaving socially or performing academically at school. If there have been any major life changes that may be a catalyst for a behavior shift, take the time to inform your student’s teacher. Teachers may even be able to offer resources and guidance to help your student manage life’s circumstances while they are at school.
Prepare Questions in Advance
Every child is unique. Their individual academic journey will shape the nature of the questions that may be asked during a parent-teacher conference. Some examples include:
-Is my student being challenged appropriately?
-What can I do at home to extend learning and support my child’s education?
-Would you recommend additional support for my student at this time? This could include gifted, enrichment or intervention services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, tutoring, etc.
-What are my students’ strengths in the classroom, socially/academically?
-What should my student be focusing on to improve their school experience?
Day-to-day chats with your student can give you some insights about what life is like in the classroom, but parent-teacher conferences are a bit like being a fly on the wall where you gain even more insight about your kiddo. Take the time to ask questions and learn more about your child.
Make a Plan
If teachers are meeting with many parents on a given conference night, individual parent-teacher face-to-face time may be time restricted. Be sure to ask for the teacher’s preferred method of contact and reach out in the future, if necessary. Also inform the teacher of how they can best reach out to you, if need be. Note: If you change address or get a new phone number during the school year, to update your students’ main office! Finally, if additional discussion time is being requested, throw out some dates and put it on the calendar!
A parent-teacher conference has the potential to be stressful for the teacher, the parent and maybe even the student, too. But if everyone is prepared and does their part, it will run smoothly! Be informed, yet open, communicate strengths and concerns. Overall, create an optimistic environment where it is known that everyone is working together to guide the student to learn, grow and flourish. At the end of the day and at heart of it, everyone is truly on “Team Student”!
