How to Prepare for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parents can write questions about their child's
learning experiences such as:
 What
skills and knowledge will my child be expected
to master this year, especially in key subjects
such as reading, mathematics, science, history
and English?
How
will my child be evaluated? What kind of
information do you use to evaluate students and
how are grades determined in your classroom?
What
can I do at home to complement what is happening
in the classroom? How can I support teachers'
efforts in implementing higher academic
standards?
How
do you accommodate differences in learning? What
if my child is a slow learner and falls behind,
or is a fast learner and is bored?
Many times,
however, parents will be asked to attend a
conference because there are issues about their
child's performance that must be addressed.
Parents can then work with teachers to resolve
these issues. Specifically, as a parent you can:
Identify
what will help. Ask the teacher what
strategies have been used to address the issue.
Together, the parent and teacher can devise an
effective solution to the learning problem.
Make
a plan. Ask the teacher what you can
specifically do to help the child at home. With
the teacher, list 3 or 3 concrete actions you
and your child can do every day.
Schedule
a follow-up conference. It is always a
good idea to plan a follow-up meeting and check
on how the plan and targeted strategies are
working. Generally, 3 or 4 weeks is enough time
between meetings to allow for progress. Waiting
until the next reporting period may be
counterproductive.
Other things to
keep in mind include being on time for your
meeting and not exceeding the amount of time
that has been set aside, usually about 40
minutes. Try to select a meeting time that is
good for you and the teacher, especially if you
are a working parent and cannot meet during
regular hours. If your spouse can't attend the
conference with you, ask for his or her concerns
and questions. Finally, ask your child's school
for support, or consult a parent liaison or
specialist for special accommodations such as
interpreter services.
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