Should parents have Parent-Teacher Conferences with their child’s teacher?
If parents find themselves feeling uncomfortable about parent-teacher conferences, Santana suggests they find other ways to communicate with their child’s teacher. For example: Schedule a phone call, use an intermediary at the school if they are more comfortable doing so and use technology to communicate virtually or by electronic exchanges.
What is the difference between elementary and middle school conferences?
The biggest difference between elementary and middle school conferences will be the pace of the discussion. You will have less time with teachers in middle school than in elementary school. Depending on your child’s middle school, he could have from two to six different teachers.
What are the three stages of a parent teacher conference?
You should think about three stages: before, during, and after. Send a personal letter to each parent to confirm the day, time, and place of the conference. Inform parents ahead of time about the purpose of the conference.
What is a virtual parent-teacher conference?
Every parent-teacher conference, including virtual parent-teacher conferences, is an opportunity to have productive discourse about how to help a child realize their full potential.
Are parent-teacher conferences outdated?
To conclude, parent-teacher conferences are an outdated event that has been progressively replaced by technology until, now, they serve next to no purpose whatsoever.
What should I ask in a middle school conference?
Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences: What to AskYour child’s academic progress. One of the most important topics you’ll cover is your child’s academic progress, including both strengths and weaknesses. … Grade-level expectations. … Class policies. … Assessments and long-term projects. … Tips and resources.
Should you bring your child to parent-teacher conference?
Do not bring your child to the conference unless you have discussed it first with the teacher and it has been approved. Though there are times when it is appropriate for children to be included in discussions with teachers, unless it has been planned as such a meeting, you should make other child care arrangements.
What is the point of parent-teacher conferences?
A parent-teacher conference is a great opportunity to: share academic progress and growth based on classroom observations, testing data, assessments, portfolios, and assignments. learn from parents or guardians so you can be better informed about students’ strengths, needs, behaviors, and learning styles.
How do you ask for a parent teacher conference?
6 Productive Questions To Ask at Parent-Teacher ConferencesWhat do you see as an area of strength for my child? … If you could pick one area to focus on improving for my child, what would it be? … How does my child contribute to the class atmosphere? … Who does my child work well with?More items…•
How should you always begin a parent teacher conference?
Always start the conference with positive comments. Parents are often anxious about what teachers will say about their child, so start the conference with positive comments to show parents that you recognize their child’s strengths.
Should I be scared of parent-teacher conference?
It is quite normal for you to feel nervous about a parent teacher conference. This meeting might be your very first, it might be a special-called meeting for a specific issue, or there may be some baggage that comes with the present school year making you nervous.
Should students go to parent teacher interviews?
But going along is one way to show your child that you’re interested in their learning needs and what’s happening for them at school. Also, parent-teacher interviews are a good chance to hear about how your child is going, from someone other than your child.
Can I take my child to parents evening?
There’s no definitive ‘right age’ to take your child to parents’ evening. Some schools insist that children are not brought along at any stage, while others request that they are, particularly in Key Stage 2.
How do you communicate the failing grade of a student to a parent?
8 Tips for Talking About Bad GradesAddress the importance of grades early. … Separate the child from the grade. … Approach the subject with concern, not anger. … Ask questions. … Talk to the teacher. … Know that rewards and punishment don’t work if you want your child to love learning. … Beware of pressure. … Take the simplest steps first.
What questions should I ask at a student conference?
Was this a strength for your child last year, too? What subject has been the hardest for you this year? Do you see that area as being the most difficult for your child? Is there anything we’ve been doing in class that is not making sense to you or that you think you need to do better in?
What are student led conferences?
A student-led conference is a preplanned meeting in which students demonstrate responsibility for their academic performance by providing a review of their work for parents and teachers.
What should I ask at a high school parent teacher conference?
Here are some key ideas to discuss with your student’s teacher during the conference.Your child’s strengths and areas for growth. Ask the teacher about your child’s strengths, beyond grades. … How to support your child at home. … Course recommendations. … Standardized tests. … College or future plans.
What is a student teacher conference?
Student-teacher conferences are a great way to connect with and understand students better. These meetings provide a platform to work with students and reflect on their interests, performances and progress. Student-teacher conferences empower students to identify, plan and set their own learning goals.
Your Involvement in School
Being involved in your child’s life at school is important. Obviously, you can’t accompany her every step of the way, but it’s important for her to know you’re interested in what she’s doing, and that her hard work is appreciated.
Talk to Your Child Beforehand
Ask your child if he has any questions or concerns he’d like you to discuss with his teacher and find out what he likes and dislikes about the class. Let your child know what you plan to talk about with the teacher – when your child is involved in decisions about his education he is more likely to take responsibility for his work and performance.
Questions
Jot down any questions you may have before your meeting to make the most of your time with her teacher. Some questions you may want to ask:
Special Circumstances
Aside from any questions you have, it’s also important to let your child’s teacher know about your concerns or any special circumstances that might affect his work in school. Update his teachers or high school counselor if any major changes occur in your family.
Keep an Open Mind
You may find the teacher has constructive criticism about your child. Keep an open mind to the teacher’s comments. Neither your child nor her teacher is perfect, so if a problem arises it’s important to consider both sides of the story. The best solution is one that helps your child succeed in school.
Follow-Up
Take notes during your meeting to record important points that were made. Let your child know what you discussed and if you and his teacher made any decisions or came to any conclusions. Set up another meeting with the teacher, if necessary, to monitor your child’s progress or to discuss any continuing problems or concerns.
2. Grade-level expectations
Ask the teacher how your child fares according to grade-level expectations. This is extremely helpful if your child is thinking about taking accelerated classes, like honors, and potentially AP and IB courses later on in high school.
3. Class policies
Every teacher has a different way to run his or her classroom, with some overlaps with other instructors in the school. Discuss this teacher’s classroom policies, as well as classroom norms.
4. Assessments and long-term projects
Middle school assessments can feel more serious (and they often are!) compared to elementary school projects and tests. Ask the teacher how your child will be assessed and given percentages or letter grades.
5. Tips and resources
End the conversation by going over what you or your child can do outside the classroom to make this middle school experience more successful.
What should parents discuss at parent teacher conferences?
While the main focus of parent-teacher conferences should be learning, it’s also important to discuss factors that can affect learning, such as students’ behavioral and social development. Other topics might include standardized test results, individualized education programs …
Why is it important to have a parent-teacher conference?
Conducting effective parent-teacher conferences can boost family involvement in your classroom and help promote positive outcomes for you, your students, and your school. A parent-teacher conference is a great opportunity to: share academic progress and growth based on classroom observations, testing data, assessments, portfolios, and assignments.
What to keep for teachers during conferences?
Some teachers keep worksheets with strengths, needs, and social or behavioral notes to guide them through conferences. If you’ll be discussing any problems, make sure to have documentation, such as examples of misbehavior or missed assignments. Also, make sure to inform parents about any problems before the conference.
What are the topics of the 504 conference?
Other topics might include standardized test results, individualized education programs (IEPs), 504 education plans, peer relationships, classroom behavior, motivation and work habits, as well as students’ strengths and challenges. School staff who support your students’ learning may attend the conference, too.
How often do parents and teachers meet?
Parent-teacher conferences are usually once or twice a year at progress reporting periods. They are brief meetings, lasting about 10-30 minutes. Conferences are typically scheduled 1 to 2 months in advance. Some middle and high schools only request parent conferences to discuss problems.
How to learn from parents?
learn from parents or guardians so you can be better informed about students’ strengths, needs, behaviors, and learning styles. discuss enrichment or intervention strategies to support students’ learning. discuss issues that may be interfering with students’ learning and growth.
Do middle schools have parent conferences?
Some middle and high schools only request parent conferences to discuss problems. Most schools set aside specific dates and times for conferences, but if school schedules conflict with family schedules, it’s worth the effort to find a mutually convenient time, or even schedule a phone or video conference.
What is parent teacher conference?
A parent-teacher conference is a face-to-face meeting between one teacher and one or both parents (or guardians) of a student. It is an opportunity to discuss a student’s academic progress and social behavior. Many schools schedule these in both the fall and spring. If there’s one part of the school year that strikes fear into the heart …
Why are parent-teacher conferences important?
Nevertheless, parent-teacher conferences are a wonderful opportunity to extend lines of communication between home and school, keep parents informed about their children’s …
What is a parent teacher conference?
Parent-teacher conferences are a great way to discuss how parents and teachers can work together to help students perform at their best in school. The following tips will help parents before, during and after their conference with their child’s teacher.
How long do you have to meet with your teacher?
On the day of the conference you may only have 15-30 minutes to meet with your child’s teacher so it’s a good idea to ask your most important questions first, just in case you don’t have enough time to address everything.
What to discuss with a teacher?
Some additional things to keep in mind to discuss with the teacher: 1 Questions about progress 2 How you, the teacher, and the school can work together to help your child 3 Questions about the school’s programs or policies 4 Your child’s home life, personality, concerns, habits and hobbies, and other things you feel the teacher should know about that might help in working with your child (e.g. transitioning to a new school, parent deployed, part-time jobs, a sick relative, religious holidays, music lessons, etc.).
Do teachers want your child to succeed?
While students learn in the classroom, that learning is reinforced at home with the parent. Remember that teachers, just like you, want your child to succeed. This will help you put a better perspective on what the teacher says about your child.
Getting Ready
There are things you can do ahead of time that will help lay a foundation with teachers for helping your child. Talk to your child to find out what he/she thinks are their best, favorite, and least favorite subjects and why. Also ask if there is anything you should talk about with the teacher (s).
The Conference
The questions you ask during the conference can help you express your hopes for the child’s success in class and for the teacher. It is a good idea to ask the important questions first in case time runs out. The teacher’s answers should help you and the teacher work together to help your child. The following are questions you may want to ask.
After the Conference
Start on the action plan you and the teacher created together. Talk about it with your child. Make sure your child knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child’s behavior and check all class and homework. Try to seek out everything you can about how your child feels about his/her school work.
Helpful Hints
Establish a positive relationship with your child’s teachers early in the school year and work to maintain it.
Parent-Teacher Conferences During a Crisis
In a pandemic, parent-teacher conferences may need to occur on video calls and over email or other messaging platforms. And, in some cases, the shift to these platforms can actually increase the amount of communication between parents and educators.
Additional Resources
The Center for Family Engagement:
External link
hub from the National PTA offering useful videos, podcasts and research information.
Your Child’S Academic Progress
Grade-Level Expectations
-
Ask the teacher how your child fares according to grade-level expectations. This is extremely helpful if your child is thinking about taking accelerated classes, like honors, and potentially AP and IB courses later on in high school. Similarly, does your child need additional support to reach grade-level goals, like summer school or after-school help? Talking with the teacher about grad…
Class Policies
-
Every teacher has a different way to run his or her classroom, with some overlaps with other instructors in the school. Discuss this teacher’s classroom policies, as well as classroom norms. You might also ask if there are any opportunities to make up tests or extend due dates — if your child is absent, for instance — as well as what the major components are of your child’s overall g…
Assessments and Long-Term Projects
-
Middle school assessments can feel more serious (and they often are!) compared to elementary school projects and tests. Ask the teacher how your child will be assessed and given percentages or letter grades. In what ways will your child be asked to demonstrate his or her growing knowledge? Will there be any long-term projects, like a science fair, research papers, or lengthy …
Tips and Resources
-
End the conversation by going over what you or your child can do outside the classroom to make this middle school experience more successful. The teacher will likely be able to offer study tips that have worked for past students, as well as outside resources, including book recommendations, online learning tools, or events in the community that might be of interest to …
The Basics
-
Parent-teacher conferences are usually once or twice a year at progress reporting periods. They are brief meetings, lasting about 10-30 minutes. Conferences are typically scheduled 1 to 2 months in advance. Some middle and high schools only request parent conferences to discuss problems. Most schools set aside specific dates and times for conferenc…
Before The Conference
-
Get informed.Make sure you’re familiar with your school’s or school district’s protocols on progress reports or report cards, grading policies, and any other student assessment tools. As you move through the conference, the report card or progress report can be a springboard for discussion and help guide you through the meeting. Also, have any local or state standardized te…
During The Conference
-
Create a welcoming environment.Make your classroom inviting by displaying students’ work, and making space for the conference with an adult-sized table and chairs. If parents need to bring their child or other siblings, have an area set aside with puzzles, games, worksheets, or computers to limit distractions. Also consider offering healthy snacks or beverages to families. Remember t…
After The Conference
-
Follow up.A little thank-you can go a long way. Many parents have to take time off work or hire babysitters to attend conferences, so consider taking the time to thank parents in a letter or email. You can also have students write thank-you notes to their parents or guardians for attending and supporting their learning. In the notes, remind parents to contact you if they have any further que…