Preparing for Parent-Teacher conferences

Parent-teacher conferences don’t have to be daunting for both parent and teacher; just make sure you go in prepared with a clear understanding of what you’re there for. It’s your right as a parent to ask. At any point in the year, you can request a conference and the teacher can do the same.

From experience in the classroom, it’s better to be the parent that is checking on their child through emails, texts, class dojo, or face-to-face conferences with a teacher than to have never shown your face at all except for field trips, parties, or the end of the year promotion ceremony. 

Here are some things you will want to know when you go in for a conference about your child’s academic progress in school. 

Top 5 tips to make sure you leave knowing:

1. Child’s reading level; what can they do, what do they need help with. 
2. Child’s strengths and areas of improvement in math.
3. A printout of their grades
4. Proof of their work in a journal or portfolio 
5. Child’s behavior in class. 

Meetings are your way of checking in and making sure that if your child’s grades are not where they should be, you can swoop in and help your student; either with extra practice work or by hiring a tutor. 

Be realistic and make sure you are not going 2 weeks before progress reports or report cards go home and ask for extra credit or how your child can bump up their grade. Scheduling appointments soon after progress reports are better because you typically have 4-5 weeks to help improve their grades.