Meetings with a teacher over your child’s work is a time to celebrate good
learning that is taking place in the classroom as well as to make plans for how
you can work together to foster even more growth. All parents deserve to know
about grade level requirements and specific ways they can help their children
become more powerful learners. By taking a little time to think about the
purpose of a conference in advance, you will make the most of this chance to get
to know the teacher and make good plans for your child. Here are some things to
think about before you go to a conference:Set a convenient time for the meeting. Allow yourself a few extra
minutes in your schedule to relax before the meeting so that you go into the
conference relaxed and focused. It helps to reflect on your child’s interests
and strengths and write down specific comments and questions for the teacher.
Notes will jog your memory about any issues that you want to discuss.
Be punctual and limit your meeting time, especially when other parents
are scheduled before and after your conference with the teacher. If you find
there are more issues to discuss and time is limited, schedule another meeting.
This gives you more time to think about the issues, and it also allows other
parents who may be waiting to have their turn.
If you find that there is something you do not understand about the
purpose of the meeting, such as test result scores or jargon used to request a
meeting, be sure to ask for an explanation.
Make sure it is clear whether or not your child is expected to attend
the conference. Some teachers encourage students to participate with parents in
the meeting. Other teachers and parents prefer that students not be present to
discuss sensitive information.
During the conference, as you discuss your child’s academic work,
ask to see specific assignments or projects. What projects or units is the class
working on currently? Ask your teacher what games or activities at home could be
used to extend and enrich classroom activities.
As the meeting is ending, set a future meeting time or exchange
convenient times to discuss your child’s progress. Although you may not need
to contact each other right away, knowing convenient times will make contact
easier in the future.
Be sure to discuss the meeting with your child. Whether your child has
attended the meeting or not, the goals and information discussed are important
to share and will demonstrate to your child that the school and home are working
together to support him or her.
