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Expert Offers Tips For Parent-Teacher Conferences

Quick -- you have five minutes with the person who spends seven hours a day schooling your child. What should you ask about?

Parent-teacher conferences can be daunting.

Marjorie Hancock, professor of elementary education at Kansas State University, is familiar with parent-teacher conferences both as a former teacher and as a parent.

She said parents attending conferences should look for a child's areas of strength, areas of weakness and ways to help the child improve.

Here are 10 pointers from Hancock on how to make any parent-teacher conference more successful:

  1. Arrive on time. "That sends a message to each child that the parents care," Hancock said. "If a child knows his or her parents care, he or she is more willing to work hard as a learner."
  2. Bring a written list of questions so you do not forget to voice concerns. "A lot of parents get nervous because the teachers are the professionals and they get back into their car and think 'Why didn't I ask that?'" she said.
  3. Realize that your child may exhibit different behaviors at school than at home. Be open to the teacher's comments. "Children are different at school than they are at home," Hancock said. "Don't be surprised by what you hear."
  4. Don't be defensive. Hancock said the biggest mistake parents make is walking into the conference with a defensive attitude. The parent needs to focus on how to help their child rather than be defensive. "A lot of parents didn't enjoy school, but you want to leave behind any negative feelings you had about school as a child," Hancock said.
  5. Ask for examples of your child's work to document teacher statements.
  6. Discuss specific strengths of your child as a learner. "Build on their strengths," she said. "A parent-teacher conference isn't all about the bad things."
  7. Ask the teacher for specific ways in which you can help at home.
  8. Help set two to four specific goals for the child for the next grading period.
  9. Share with your child what the teacher reports. "They (the parents) need to sit down and have their own conference with that child," Hancock said. "That child needs to be part of that conference."
  10. And most importantly, Hancock said, remember that, as a parent, you are the most important person in your child's life. Give your child a hug and reassurance following the conference.

"The bottom line is 'I love you,'" Hancock said. "It's almost a team approach to success."

9 Questions to Start a Partnership

by Bryan Taylor

  1. What would you like to know about my child?
  2. How can I help you to help my child?
  3. Can I see a list of what you expect the class to learn by the end of the year?
  4. What can I work on right now at home to help my child stay ahead in class?
  5. How does my child act at school?
  6. What motivates my child and makes learning easier? What doesn’t seem to work?
  7. What books would be good for my child?
  8. What tutoring or enrichment opportunities might be good for my child?
  9. What’s the best way to contact you?

Before you meet with the teacher, write — yep, write — your own list of questions; it beats waiting until the drive home to remember what you really wanted to talk about.

Bryan Taylor, publisher of EduGuide, is a national speaker for parents, students and educators recently featured in a televised dialogue with the U.S. Secretary of Education.

10 Great Questions For Your Child's Teacher

Source: Source: Institute for Responsive Education

  1. What is my child learning?
  2. How do you know that she is learning?
  3. How are you helping my child improve in her subjects?
  4. What do you expect of my child?
  5. Is she meeting your expectations? Why or why not?
  6. Is my child progressing to the next level?
  7. What are the daily homework requirements?
  8. Is my child developing positive relationships with other students?
  9. May I please see my child’s work?
  10. Is my child meeting her potential?

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Last modified: , 2004

Disclaimer: This website is the sole responsibility of Mike McMahon. It does not represent any official opinions, statement of facts or positions of the Alameda Unified School District. Its sole purpose is to disseminate information to interested individuals in the Alameda community.