1. Put some thought into whether or not to bring your child. There are times that having the student present is important, such as when developing a plan for improvement, which will require added commitment from the student. However, there may also be times when a parent may want to say something about their child that they would not say in front of them.
2. Keep the focus on improvement. The goal of these meetings is not to assign blame. However, we need to be able to identify the cause of the issue in order develop a plan for improvement. Rather than be defensive, it is best to keep an open mind. The teacher is sharing their observations about what is occurring in class. Use it as a jumping off point to talk about the moving forward in the future.
3. Bring specific questions or concerns. Time is somewhat limited. Some teachers may have a line of parents waiting to talk to them. Come prepared with specific questions that you need answered and avoid the small talk. If you are finding that you will not have enough time or that you would prefer a more private setting, use your time with the teacher to set a date and time for another meeting.
4. Don’t be scared to share personal information about your child. The more a teacher can learn about your child, the better prepared they are to work with them. This pertains just as much with personal issues as it does to academic ones. One of the most important things staff and students learned from Michael Arterberry and the Power of Peace trainings is that “everybody has some dirt on their back.” It can only help explain why the teacher may have seen a change in your child’s demeanor or performance recently and it will help them in the future to build a relationship with them.
5. Your child’s teacher should always provide some type of positive feedback. No parent wants to walk away from a parent teacher conference feeling guilty or completely hopeless. If they do not provide positive feedback, you should ask for it. It is important that teachers and parents celebrate even the smallest of victories together.
6. Bring a pen and paper. Since you could potentially speak to eight different teachers, there will be a lot of information shared. By taking notes from each of them, parents can use them to initiate conversations with your children about each area of study. This may also give you the opportunity to notice any patterns in behavior that were consistent throughout the conferences with teachers.
2. Keep the focus on improvement. The goal of these meetings is not to assign blame. However, we need to be able to identify the cause of the issue in order develop a plan for improvement. Rather than be defensive, it is best to keep an open mind. The teacher is sharing their observations about what is occurring in class. Use it as a jumping off point to talk about the moving forward in the future.
3. Bring specific questions or concerns. Time is somewhat limited. Some teachers may have a line of parents waiting to talk to them. Come prepared with specific questions that you need answered and avoid the small talk. If you are finding that you will not have enough time or that you would prefer a more private setting, use your time with the teacher to set a date and time for another meeting.
4. Don’t be scared to share personal information about your child. The more a teacher can learn about your child, the better prepared they are to work with them. This pertains just as much with personal issues as it does to academic ones. One of the most important things staff and students learned from Michael Arterberry and the Power of Peace trainings is that “everybody has some dirt on their back.” It can only help explain why the teacher may have seen a change in your child’s demeanor or performance recently and it will help them in the future to build a relationship with them.
5. Your child’s teacher should always provide some type of positive feedback. No parent wants to walk away from a parent teacher conference feeling guilty or completely hopeless. If they do not provide positive feedback, you should ask for it. It is important that teachers and parents celebrate even the smallest of victories together.
6. Bring a pen and paper. Since you could potentially speak to eight different teachers, there will be a lot of information shared. By taking notes from each of them, parents can use them to initiate conversations with your children about each area of study. This may also give you the opportunity to notice any patterns in behavior that were consistent throughout the conferences with teachers.
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