Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences are a great opportunity for you to
visit your child's school, meet with your child's teacher, and see and hear
about how your child is progressing academically. Here are some things you may
want to consider before your conference:
Talk To Your Child--Find out
what he or she thinks about school. What is your child's favorite subject? Is
your child comfortable in the classroom? Try to help your child understand that
you are meeting with the teacher to help him/her.
Make A List--The average
parent-teacher conference lasts about 20 minutes. You may want to make a list so
you make sure that you have an opportunity to cover all of your concerns. Here
are a list of questions you may want to consider:
What is my child like
during the day?
Does he/she participate
in class discussions or activities?
What are my child's
best and worst subjects? How can I help him/her improve in the areas that need
work?
How does my child
interact with other children and adults?
Is my child in
different classes or groups for different subjects? How are these groups
determined?
If you know your child is having difficulty in the classroom (behavioral or academic) you may want to :
Ask the teacher for
examples.
Ask what is being done and
what strategies/interventions are being used to help.
Develop an action plan that
includes steps that you, the parent, can take at home and steps that the teacher
can take in the classroom.
Schedule a follow-up
conference.
Decide what is the best way
to stay in touch with the teacher (phone, e-mail, notes in your child's agenda
book).
We look forward to seeing you at conference time!