How to be prepared for the dreaded parent teacher conference

 What is a parent teacher conference?  Is it important?  Should I be prepared?  How do I prepare? 

A parent teacher conference is an opportunity to learn about how your child is doing in school and to get to know your child’s teacher.  It is an exchange of information.  Your child’s teacher will tell you all about how your child is doing in school with his/her academic studies, how he/she gets along with his/her peers and performance on school tests.  A parent teacher conference helps you understand how to best help your child if they are struggling.  And, most importantly, a parent teacher conference allows you to develop a positive working relationship with your child’s teacher. 

Here are five strategies to help you make your parent teacher conference productive. 

1. Be on time.  Because your teacher schedules conferences with the entire class, you have a very short period of time to discuss and go over your child’s progress.  If you arrive late, then you have less time to discuss how your child is doing in school.  Start the conversation by letting the teacher know what your child enjoys in the classroom.
2. If you feel uncomfortable speaking English or do not speak English, bring a friend or make sure that there is a translator who can help you understand.  When you understand what the teacher is saying, you are better able to help with any problems.  And, this will lead to developing a positive working relationship with your child’s teacher.
3. Write down the questions that you want to ask your child’s teacher.  Here are some examples of questions: (1) Ask the teacher to describe your child academic progress?  (2) Does my child behave in school?  (3) What are my child’s work habits?  (4) How does my child get along with the other children?  (5) How much homework will my child receive each week?
4. Although the parent teacher conference is about how your child is doing in school, it is also an opportunity to talk to your teacher about other concerns you may have about your child.  If there is something happening at home that is affecting your child’s ability to concentrate in the classroom, tell the teacher.  Your teacher can refer you to the school social worker who can help you resolve issues that are occurring at home.
5. Be prepared to hear about any problems your child may be experiencing.  A good teacher will summarize both the positive and negative aspects of your child.  Because you are meeting with the teacher for 15 minutes, your child’s teacher will devote more time to discussing the problems in order to work together towards coming to a solution.  Do not be defensive and find out how you and the teacher can help your child together. 

A parent teacher conference provides information about how your child is doing in the classroom.  Be prepared to listen and learn about your child.  This will lead to developing a positive working relationship with the teacher.  When your child sees that you and their teacher are working together, it enables your child to have their own positive relationship with their teacher which can lead to an enhancement of their education and their motivation to succeed.