Working With Your Child's Teacher
What's the secret to good communication with my child's teacher?
The secret to establishing good communication with your child's teacher is to first establish a good rapport or good relationship with that teacher. It's important that you have a positive attitude and are open and willing to have dialogue with your child's teacher. Be willing to share information about your child that the teacher may not know otherwise unless you shared it. Be willing to receive and listen to information from that teacher as well. It's always best to schedule an appointment to talk with your child's teacher. You can contact your child's teacher through email, a telephone call, or even a letter in your child's backpack. It's important that you remember that your child's teacher is busy working through out the day so they may not have the time to meet with you in the middle of the day.
How can I let my child's teacher know that I don't think he's being challenged?
If you feel that your child is not being challenged, it's important that you talk to your child's teacher immediately. Schedule an appointment to talk with the teacher. Express your concerns and listen to the teacher's perspective as well. Work together on solutions, ideas and strategies that you can use in the classroom and at home to make sure that your child is being challenged and working to his or her fullest potential.
What is a "parent-teacher conference"?
A parent-teacher conference is a meeting between a parent, a teacher, and sometimes even a child, to discuss learning goals and to monitor student progress throughout the year. Parent-teacher conferences are usually scheduled around report card distribution, and occur perhaps twice a year, but could be more or less depending on your child's particular school.
What's the secret to getting the most out of a parent-teacher conference?
The secret to getting the most out of a parent-teacher conference is preparation. It's important that parents prepare before going to the parent-teacher conference. Write a list of questions that you might have for your child's teacher. Write a list of concerns that you might have. Also, write a list of things that you think are going really well and strengths that your child has. It's also important that you are open and willing to listen to the suggestions of the teacher, so you can work together to ensure that your child reaches his goals for the year.
Should I bring my child to a parent-teacher conference?
It's a parent and teacher decision whether to include a child in a parent-teacher conference. There are many reasons that you would want to bring your child to the conference, or to leave them home. Some of the reasons to bring them to the conference would include having no secrets- having open and clear communication between the parent, the teacher, and the child. It's also important that you could celebrate your child's successes immediately, and also address any concerns immediately with both parties present to give their prospective. Some of the cons of incorporating students into a parent-teacher conference would include; maybe the parent or the teacher feeling inhibited in the discussion that they have. A child also may not be able to be attentive throughout the length of the parent-teacher conference.
What questions should I ask at a parent-teacher conference?
There are so many questions that a parent can ask at a parent-teacher conference. Some of the most important are: "What are the goals for this year?" "What is the learning environment like in my child's classroom?" "How can I assist with learning at home?" "What are the expectations of my students behaviorally as well as academically?" These are the best questions to ask at a parent-teacher conference.
