“Parents don’t always think to ask, but it’s important to know if your child interacts well with the other children,” McDonald says. A child’s social development is just as important as their academic development, and your child’s teacher will have made useful observations they can share with you. How is my child doing socially?Īccording to Davis, the way the child functions socially in the class is a topic that should be addressed at a conference, so inquire about your child’s peer relations. If home life circumstances change dramatically in between conferences, be sure to drop your child’s teacher a note to let them know. “Even knowing if the child goes to one home on certain days and another home on other days can be helpful,” McDonald says. Situations like illness, divorce or a new baby may affect your child’s school experience, so inform your child’s teacher of such circumstances. May I tell you about what’s going on at home? “I can do a better job of helping your child learn if I understand them better,” he says. McDonald agrees that this is the most important thing a parent can communicate to their child’s teacher. “Provide your child’s teacher with more information on what motivates your child, likes and dislikes, special skills, strengths and weaknesses,” Shiabu says. No one knows your child better than you do, so it’s your job to help your child’s teacher learn more. Ask and answer questions about your child’s life 1. We asked McDonald, Debbie Shiabu, executive director of the Association of Private Schools, Anne Davis, education writer and special education teacher in Suffolk County, New York, and Justin Baeder, director of The Principal Center, to give us their advice on exactly what to discuss at your next parent-teacher conference. Questions to ask at a parent-teacher conferenceīuilding a healthy partnership with your child’s teacher can make all the difference in his school experience, so you’ll want to make sure you’re asking the right questions when you meet. The ultimate goal for both parents and teachers should be to get a well-rounded understanding of what is happening with the child in their day-to-day life because it informs how they end up performing academically. Are the parents divorced? How does the child spend their nights? What do they like to do outside of school? Are they feeling good emotionally at home?” “I want to gain insight into how things are going for them at home when they’re away from me because it helps me to understand their child better.
“And for the teacher, it’s similar,” McDonald continues. “How are they doing with the academic work? How are they doing socially with the other children? How are they feeling emotionally?” “The parents should be looking to gain insight into how the day goes for their child while they’re in the school building and away from them,” McDonald says. The goal of parent-teacher conferencesĬhris McDonald, a Massachusetts elementary school teacher of 26 years, says that parents and teachers have similar aims when it comes to conferences. With so much to cover in such a short amount of time, we asked experienced educators for their thoughts on what parents can do to get the most out of parent-teacher conferences. Parents want to get the lowdown on how their children are doing, and teachers want to make sure they communicate everything a parent needs to know about their teaching style and how the child is performing in school - all in a 15-minute block of time. But as helpful as they are, they can be downright stressful for everyone involved. Parent-teacher conferences are one of the most useful tools that we have as parents to ensure our children are getting the most from their education.
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