6 Tips to Get the Most Out of Teacher-Parent Conferences
Learn how to effectively communicate with teachers, gain valuable insights into your child's progress, and establish a strong partnership for academic success.
Parent-teacher conferences, those periodic meetings with the educators and staff at your student’s school, can often sneak up on you in the hectic, school year schedule. However, these conferences present a wonderful opportunity: a chance for families to connect with teachers and collaborate on ensuring their child can get the most out of their schooling experience.
Whether it’s your first parent-teacher conference at a new school or you’re looking forward to seeing a teacher who taught an older sibling, these 6 tips will help you in getting the most out of these conferences for yourself and your student.
1. Do Your Research and Prepare Ahead of Time
As with any important meeting, preparation is key to ensuring a seamless and productive experience. This is true for teachers, parents, and students alike, and especially important given the relatively brief timeframe for conferences; they generally range from 30 minutes at most down to as little as 10 minutes with any given teacher.
The best place to start is by talking with your child about school – asking questions about and listening to their experiences, concerns, and hopes in class will enable you to be on the same page as your student and their teacher(s) once conferences start.
The following suggested items are a great place to get started in these conversations with your child:
Schoolwork: What has assigned coursework looked like in this class? What are assignments you’ve enjoyed or learned from, and what areas of classwork have you struggled on or been confused by? Time permitting, have your child go through what they’ve been learning and working on.
Syllabus and Grading: If possible, review the course syllabus or school handbook together. What are the standards/outcomes for this class or grade level? Are there any large projects coming up? What grading scheme is used in this class or at this school?
Classroom Environment: What does a daily class period or school day look like? Are there friends or distracting peers in this classroom, or are there any issues with classroom expectations and norms to discuss?
Additional Needs: Are there any unique difficulties or needs that you would like to discuss with your teacher?
Discussing school with your child in the days and weeks leading up to conferences, even just for a few minutes at a time, is invaluable preparation for ensuring you’re up to speed on areas of success and potential growth.
2. Make a List of Questions and Ideas
Once you are familiar with the structure, curriculum, and personal successes/challenges your child is experiencing at school, start formulating a list of questions and ideas that you would like to discuss with their teacher(s). 3-5 talking points is a good amount to shoot for, to keep things concise and targeted.
Focus on topics you would like more clarification on (that you couldn’t clarify elsewhere) and ideas or hopes you have for having your child get the most out of school. Some example questions might include the following:
I see the school switched to a proficiency-based grading this year. How is my child doing in comparison to grade-level expectations, and how does this grading scale work with transcripts later on in their academic career?
My child has expressed interest in [a particular topic], and I understand there is a final project near the end of the year. Would it be possible to incorporate this topic into their project, and what might that look like?
My child has noted that they are having difficulties in fully understanding the written material in this class and others. What solutions have you implemented to help them fully comprehend written materials, and do you think they might need additional support inside or outside of the classroom (such as math tutoring)?
Bring a copy in on the day of conferences, as well as a means of taking notes.
3. Be Open and Engaged During the Meeting
When it comes time to meet with the teacher(s), bring a positive attitude and mindset to the meeting. While a little shared venting here and there can build rapport, and focus on a positive framing in working towards solutions and growth.
Work to understand any challenges the teacher or school might be facing, and be open about the challenges you and your child are facing (to the extent that you are comfortable with). You and the teachers and school staff are on the same team, working together to help your student develop the skills, knowledge, and attitude to succeed in life.
4. Take Notes and Stay Focused on Key Topics
This is where your list of questions and ideas will come into play! Most likely, the teacher will share a focused overview of key details relating to your child’s performance and experience in the classroom. Take concise notes on what is being discussed, including if any of your questions or ideas are being addressed.
When the time comes to discuss your questions and ideas, continue to take brief notes as well. Use your list to stay focused on important topics, and make sure you cover all areas in the time allotted. Keeping track of these discussions will be helpful in the moment to ensure that time is being used efficiently, as well as after the conference if you ever need to revisit the topics discussed.
6. Discuss a Plan for Ensuring Growth and Success
If there are any areas where you or the teacher(s) have brought up room for growth for your student, focus on collaborating with the teacher to come up with a plan for helping your child get what they need.
This may look like requesting additional services within the school (special education consultation, enrichment options, behavioral plans, etc.) or outside of it (online resources, study skills tutoring, or engagement in extracurricular activities, etc.). This may also be as simple as working out a simple system for your child to keep better track of assignments in a school planner.
Whatever the case, work with the teacher and your child to come up with a couple of actionable steps to take in ensuring continued learning and success at school.
Follow Through and Follow Up
After the conference, reflect on the topics discussed. Work together with your student in implementing any actions or changes, and note if progress is made as a result. If needed, you can always reach out to the school or teacher with any questions or concerns, and can schedule a follow-up meeting as needed.
In any case, send a thank-you card or email to the teacher to thank them for their time and consideration. A quick, positive note can make a big difference in building and maintaining a positive relationship with teachers and staff, setting the stage for positive communication and collaboration down the road!
Supplement Your Learning with a North Avenue Expert Tutor
With proper planning and positive collaboration, parent teacher conferences can be so much more than a simple check-in; they can become a wonderful opportunity to ensure your student is receiving the best possible support in their education. Use these 6 tips to prepare for the next round of conferences and facilitate your child’s best possible educational experiences.
Should tutoring emerge from the conference as a potential option to explore for your child, reach out to our team to learn more about taking the next steps in fostering personal and academic growth.
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