Is my child meeting expectations for learning and behavior? How has my child performed on daily class assignments, on tests, on homework assignments? How does my child compare to others in basic skills? Does my child follow school rules or does my child exhibit any behavior problems? If my child is struggling in any area, what has been tried to improve performance? Does my child pay attention in class? What else can be done at home or at school? What are my child’s strengths? Are there any concerns about my child’s health, or adjustment? Are there materials or resources that you would recommend? How does my child get along with other students? Prepare a list of questions you want to ask your child’s teacher. Is the work getting done? Does your child seem to understand the assignments? Does the work seem too easy or too difficult? If your child has homework be familiar with the assignments and how your child has been performing. Also, try to assemble a list of questions you may want to ask the teacher if you are unsure of material in the handbook.īe familiar with your child’s homework assignments. In particular look for listings of expectations for behavior and attendance so that you might anticipate what questions the teacher may ask of you. If your district, school, or classroom has a handbook for students, be sure to obtain a copy well ahead of the conference and review it. Find out if your child has any specific concerns about schoolwork or relationships with classmates.Īcquire the handbook for students. Children should understand why the conference is taking place (is it due to a problem or is it a routine meeting held for all parents) and be assured that parents are seeking ways to help and learn about what their children are doing in school. ![]() Talk with your child before the conference. At conference time, if you or the teacher has specific concerns, you can then find whatever might be important to share with the teacher. As a tip, once you have started a collection of your child’s records, it is easy to add new material each year. If anything important is missing, such as a report from your family physician, try to locate it and add to your file. Make sure you have gathered all the material you need. This can include records from previous schools and school years, such as report cards, test scores, immunization and other health records, and past and current correspondence between home and school. Gather appropriate materials to help prepare for the conference. There are many steps you can take to assure that the conference is productive and positive:Īssemble relevant materials. Perhaps you have requested the conference yourself. Preparing for the Parent-Teacher ConferenceĪt least once per year, and frequently each semester (or more often), you will receive a notice of a parent-teacher conference. Even if you have talked frequently with school personnel about your child’s failing grades or misbehavior, a conference may be an opportunity to start a cooperative partnership with teachers. ![]() Try not to worry or be afraid of a conference with your child’s teacher. If parents are new to the community, come from another culture, or do not speak fluent English, then they may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of attending a conference with their child’s teacher or participating in a Family Night or School Open House. If parents have experienced difficulty in school, then they may have to overcome negative feelings that carry over from their own childhood. Sometimes parents must first deal with their own discomfort with schools and teachers. ![]() Yet, collaboration between parents and teachers is not always a smooth process.Įstablishing an effective home-school partnership requires efforts from both teachers and parents to create a trusting, equitable relationship. ![]() School programs that include strong parent involvement are more effective. Research has proven that when parents and teachers work together, everyone benefits: Students tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, attend school more regularly, have better behavior, and show more positive attitudes toward themselves and toward school. Home and school-everyone shares the goal of helping children learn and feel successful. Our thanks to NASP for sharing it with us. It’s brought to you from our friends at the National Association of School Psychologists, and was originally published on their website,. Here’s some required reading for all parents who are heading into the school conference season.
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