Have you scheduled a Parent Teacher Conference for the end of the nine weeks? Regardless of how your child is performing in school I highly recommend taking the time to see your child’s teacher.
Here are a few tips on how to set it up and what to ask during the conference.
Tips for Parent Teacher Conferences
The first grading period is coming to an end for many of us with children in school. It’s hard to believe that they have already spent 9 weeks in school. Many schools schedule parent teacher conferences with parents to touch base and share student assessments and progress. Even if your school doesn’t have all the teachers scheduling them I would highly recommend asking the teacher if you can schedule a quick conference each nine weeks regardless of how they are performing. It’s truly an amazing window into your child’s academic growth and personal development.
Why Should I Schedule a Parent Conference?
- Opens lines of communication
- Showcases a child’s successes
- Learn about your child’s learning style
- Open conversations for any need for improvement
- Demonstrates that you put your child high in your priorities
- Learn about their relationships with others
- Builds child’s excitement to knowing that you’re talking with their teacher
- Sets a higher expectations for their achievement when they know that parents and teachers talk
- Helps to build a positive connection between home and school
What Do I Ask or Do at a Parent Conference ?
- Prepare questions at home and bring them with you written down
- Take Notes
- See test results and work samples
- Discuss the forms of assessment this grade level
- See progress of work on the student displays
- Ask how your child is doing socially with peers
- Discuss goals for your child together
- Discuss what to challenge with at home to build a stronger student
- Find ways to get involved with the classroom
- Discuss the best way to be in contact for follow up to your conversation.
Did you find out there is an area your child needs more support or practice with?
Subject Area Pinterest Boards
Come visit our Pinterest Boards for each subject Area and Follow. We are always trying to find playful ways for your child to learn after school and are sharing them on our Pinterest Boards.
Common Core Standards are a great place to start if you are unsure what your child should be learning in their school year.
What subject area does your child have strengths in? What subject area do they have weaknesses in?
What are the ways that you’ll be supporting them differently now that you’ve had a conference?
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I love your outlook on parent-teacher conferences. Looking at it as a window into your child’s academic achievements makes it seem like so much more than a meeting between a parent and a teacher. I wish that more teachers made it easy to schedule something this. Some of the people in my kid’s school can be difficult to get ahold of. It would be so much easier if we could just schedule something online.
We are going to have the conference next week. This is perfect timing! Thanks for the helpful reminder!
We are looking forward to our conference in November. Smarty's teacher is great, but there is very little differentiation going on in math, and we would like to discuss how we can stretch her there. Great discussion points in this post!