Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences - TeachersFirst

Parent-Teacher Conferences
A guide for parents

Introduction

School Contributions

Parent Contributions

Preparing for a Conference

References

Parents' Contributions

At the same time, there are many things parents can do to demonstrate their interest in working with school personnel to improve the school experience for their children:

1. Seek out your child's teacher(s) at the first Open House or Family Night. Introduce yourself and let teachers know how to reach you.

2. Ask for a conference early in the school year rather than waiting for a conference invitation. Meeting early, before any problems arise, can help establish a good working relationship as well as provide an opportunity to inform teachers of any specific concerns or unique issues that affect your child. For example, let teachers know if there is an impending or recent divorce that might be unsettling for your child; a recent death in the family; a health problem such as allergies or asthma; a recent move; etc.

3. Find out if there are activities you can provide at home to help your child practice skills learned at school. What sort of books might you have on hand to read to or with your child? Are there some math games to help practice the newly introduced math facts? What is the best way to help your child practice spelling?

4. Ask if your child's behavior is in accordance with expectations, if he or she seems to follow school rules without difficulty, if he or she seems to have friends in the classroom. If concerns surface, find out how the teacher deals with problems and how you might be able to reinforce appropriate behavior at home.

5. Volunteer! This can take many forms depending on your time and skills. Some parents' schedules allow them to come to school and help out in a classroom on a weekly or monthly basis. Sometimes it is best to help in a classroom other than your child's class if your presence might be distracting to your child. Volunteers are often needed to help students practice their reading or math skills; to help teachers gather and manage materials for lessons and projects; to help supervise the class on a field trip or during an assembly. Often there are ways to help out after school hours-with PTA refreshments, as a member of a school or district committee. What is important is that you provide some support to the school, and preferably through an activity that involves you more directly with decisions about school policy or in ways that support your child's learning.

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Prepared for the National Association of School Psychologists by Andrea Canter, Ph.D., NCSP. In part based upon Martin and Waltman-Greenwood, Solve Your Child's School-Related Problems (chapter 2, A Parent's Primer).