Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences: for Parent

It's that time of year again...Parent-Teacher conferences. This is an opportunity for parents to ask questions about their child's class and progress. It is also a time when parents and teachers can work together to help individual students have a successful school year. Whether your child is in elementary, middle or high school, it is important to have regularly scheduled conferences. Most schools have at least two (fall, spring). If your child's school does not, you should request one periodically.

Here are some suggestions for parents regarding how to participate in a successful parent-teacher conference.

Before the Conference

• Be sure to sign up for a conference. If there is a conflict with your work schedule, ask the teacher if it would be possible to meet on a different day that is not a designated conference day.
• Speak with your child about their experience thus far. Ask your child if there is a particular question they want you to ask or topic to discuss with the teacher.
• Make a list of discussion topics to discuss with the teacher. They should include academics, behavior, and social maturity. In addition, you may want to let the teacher know about your child's home life (personality, habits, living arrangements, hobbies) to help the teacher work with your child most effectively.

The Day of the Conference

• As a courtesy, arrive at your child's classroom about 5 minutes prior to your scheduled conference time. Teachers may be a bit ahead or behind schedule.

During the Conference

• Quickly establish a rapport. A pleasant greeting ("Good morning.", "Good afternoon.") or as an icebreaker compliment the teacher on something that reflects well on them (e.g. the classroom environment).
• Ask questions. This will enable the teacher to get an idea of your hopes for your child's success in the class.In the interest of time, be sure to ask the most important questions first.
• Don't focus on grades. Listen to the teacher and ask appropriate questions to get a good idea of your child as a whole when he/she is at school. Focus on what your child needs to improve upon (every student has at least one thing). Listen to the teacher's suggestions and follow through.
• Avoid comparing your child to a sibling. They are not the same student nor people.
• If necessary, address any difficulties your child may be having academically, behaviorally and/or socially. When doing so, avoid angry or apologetic reactions. First,ask for specific examples of the difficulties. Second, ask what steps are being taken at school to solve the problem(s) and what seems to work best. Third, work with the teacher to develop a plan of action to use at school when the problem arises. It may also contain steps to use at home to discourage undesirable behavior at school.
• Ask the teacher for ways you can help your child at home/during the summer.
• As the conference comes to a close, ask if you can obtain a copy of your child's progress report.

After the Conference

• Have a talk with your child about the conference. Let him/her look at the report. Start with speaking about the conference in general and follow up with some positive aspects of the conference. Next, you can discuss any areas of concern. Be specific when you tell your child what plan has been developed to help remedy the problem and what is expected of them moving forward.
• A telephone call, handwritten note or an email saying "thank you" is a good way to promote a positive relationship with the teacher. Consistent communication with the teacher, even when your child is doing well, can be an important part of your child doing well in school. When your child knows that you and the teacher are working together, the message is clear that doing well in school is a priority that requires their maximum effort and commitment.