Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences
Posted on: 10/7/2008
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For some students, the 2008 school year is nearly a month old. For
parents, this means parent-teacher conferences are right around the
corner. Here are some tips for having a productive discussion with your
child’s teacher, when it comes time to discuss your child’s progress.
Do Your Homework Before You Go
Whether
you’ve scheduled an appointment with your child’s teacher, or the
teacher has made a special request that you come in for a visit, it
will be beneficial to prepare for a parent-teacher conference
beforehand. The National Education Association recommends that adults
visit with their children before the meeting to learn how they feel
about school and their teacher. Write some notes about your child’s
behavior at home, and be prepared to ask some questions about how your
child is progressing in class and what you can do to coordinate your
efforts with the teacher’s.
What should you talk about besides academic work?
You might think that school is all about reading, 'riting, and
'rithmetic, but those aren’t the only subjects you should discuss at a
parent-teacher conference. Time Magazine points out that this is a prime opportunity
to see how well your child interacts with others, participates in
groups and generally shows good values and respect to others. Talk to
the teacher about what you can do to reinforce these qualities, along
with what academic lessons you can teach at home to help your youngster
become a more well-rounded person.
Should you bring your child in?
In
2007, a Texas legislator proposed making it a misdemeanor offense
(complete with a $500 fine) for parents to skip a parent-teacher
conference. While a state education association mentioned that threat
of punishment might not be the way to encourage more parents to attend
these conferences, Emily Bazelon of Slate said the legislator who
suggested the idea had a point: parent-teacher conferences can be beneficial,
especially when the parents, teachers and students engage in a
three-way conversation together. “From a teacher’s perspective,
conferences are useful because they push you to reflect on each kid and
her schoolwork,” Bazelon explained. “To go through a child’s portfolio
with her, and talk together about her academic progress and behavior,
would be all the more meaningful.”
A few other qualities can be taught by bringing students to a parent-teacher conference, according to the Boston Globe. It can teach children to address authority figures confidently, accept responsibility for their performance in school and to examine their work objectively and recognize their own progress.
A few other qualities can be taught by bringing students to a parent-teacher conference, according to the Boston Globe. It can teach children to address authority figures confidently, accept responsibility for their performance in school and to examine their work objectively and recognize their own progress.
What should you talk about besides academic work?
You might think that school is all about reading, 'riting, and
'rithmetic, but those aren’t the only subjects you should discuss at a
parent-teacher conference. Time Magazine points out that this is a prime opportunity
to see how well your child interacts with others, participates in
groups and generally shows good values and respect to others. Talk to
the teacher about what you can do to reinforce these qualities, along
with what academic lessons you can teach at home to help your youngster
become a more well-rounded person.What if there’s a problem?
In
cases where a child is having problems at school, a parent-teacher
conference may be a little nerve-wracking—for everybody. But there are
ways to avoid a confrontational situation
with your child’s instructor. Disney Family recommends that parents
think before they speak in an emotional situation; word choice can make
all the difference in how parents and teachers relate to each other.
Third grade teacher Kelly Darby said, “If they work with the teacher
and form a team, creating a home-school connection, the lines of
communication will always be open and you’ll always be working for the
same purpose.”
Source: FindingDulcinea.com
Source: FindingDulcinea.com
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