10 Ways to ROCK the next conference with your child's Teacher

Being a former teacher I have been through plenty Parent-Teacher Conferences. We call conferences at the beginning of the year, middle, and end. In between there we stay in contact with parents to update them on how their child is progressing. Below I have listed steps, as a parent, that you can take to make the conference with your child's teacher go smoothly.

 Don’t assume your child is in trouble

Teacher's hold conferences for many different reasons. We like to keep in contact with parent's to update them on their child's progress (behavior and academically). If you are called into a conference with your child's teacher don't automatically think it is because your child is in trouble. There could be many different reasons the teacher(s) would like to conference with you. At the beginning of our school year we had conferences with every single child's parents just to get to know them a little bit better. We showed them some data we had at the beginning of the year and what steps we wanted to take going into the year to help their child succeed. 

 Bring a list of questions or concerns

When you attend your child's conference you will be asked if you have any questions or concerns. I recommend throughout the year to write down any questions that you have that pop up. If there is a major concern that pops up please get in contact with your child's teacher as soon as possible. We want to know if something is going on that we are not aware of. When a parent comes with questions we are more than happy to answer them and as thoroughly as possible. The parent may ask a question that we didn't think  to discuss with them. This will help even further to cover all basics to help your child succeed. 

 Include your child

Feel free to include your child at the conference. I know at a lot of conferences we held we had the child join us. After all this is about their success. If you aren't sure if your child can be in attendance ask the teacher, they will give you a yes or no answer. We want your child to hear the praises and concerns that we have in our classroom. We like the one on one time to get to talk with them and have them also answer how they think the year is going. It is also a chance for them to voice any questions that they may have. I have noticed throughout the year that students open up a little bit more when they have their parents by their side. Plus if the teacher has a concern over behavior than they are able to talk to you and your child and see what needs to be implemented in order to get back on track. 

RSVP to let us know you will be there

I know that you may think that this would be a no-brainer, but we have been stood up more times than not. Shoot us a quick email or respond on the letter that we send home that you will be there. If you aren't able to make it try and reschedule with the teacher. There are always the options of conferencing on the phone or through email. 

 If you are able to, leave your other children at home

I know this may be hard depending on childcare, but if you are able to, leave your other children at home. We want as much of your attention during the conference as possible. When there are other children around we have noticed that the parents are worried about what those children are getting into and not fully attentive to the discussion being had. Now we understand if you need to bring them and we will be more than accommodating to pull out things to entertain them.

Ask for materials you can use at home

Your child's teacher may suggest things you can do at home to help your child's progress in school. Please do not hesitate to ask for any materials that you can use at home from the teacher. We are more than willing to make something up or copy something to send home with you. We want you to have all the materials/ necessities at home to help with your child's progression.

Ask to see anything that the child is bringing home daily.

This is very important. I have had parents come in the middle of the year not aware of papers that are sent home every day that need signatures. Ask the teacher if there is anything that you need to be signing daily or any papers that you need to be on the lookout for. If you missed the back to school night I would get in contact with the teacher ASAP and ask for any papers that they may have handed out that night. Another item you may want to ask to take a look at is your child's take home folder. This would be a good comparison to what you are seeing at home. Make sure your child is showing you everything.

Stay in contact with the teachers

A lot happens between the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Teachers try to stay in contact with parents throughout the school year as much as possible. This can be in the form of  weekly or monthly newsletters, email updates, a special page dedicated to their classroom. If the teacher is providing a way to keep up to date with what is going on in the classroom take the opportunity to follow it. I would send home monthly updates through a classroom newsletter. Included in the newsletter were what we were studying for that month, important dates that were coming up, and a letter from me. Again if you have any questions or concerns please contact your child's teacher through email or phone call.

Ask for copies of data that the teacher shows you

During the conference the teacher may show you data on your child's progression throughout the school year. Do not hesitate to ask for a copy of the data that they present to you. This is a great way to show you visibly how your child is doing in the class. I would usually make a copy of the data that I presented at the conference for the parents to follow along. Data can include: test scores, district tests, STAAR tests, quizzes, 9 week averages, etc... Data is a great way to see how well your child is progressing. It is also a way for teachers to catch if your child is falling behind and what implementations need to take place in order for your child to succeed. 

Remember the teachers want what is best for your child and that is to help them succeed

Remember teachers want the same that you do for your child...we want them to succeed and to reach their highest potential. We see them everyday and get to know what hopes and dreams they have for themselves. We want to see them follow those dreams and have courage in themselves to do so. As teachers we encourage your child to be motivated to reach their highest potential. We hopefully set the path for a very successful future. We want to set that path with the help of you, their parents.