Dr. Kim Grengs and Lisa Edwards are here to discuss how to make your parent teacher conferences a success. Make sure to watch the video for all the details, but here is an overview on what you can find inside.
Be prepared –
Know the dates, start times and how much time you will have with the teacher. Sometimes these conferences may only be 15-20 minutes, so know that going in if you have lots of questions to ask.
Plan Questions Ahead of Time –
Check out this resource if you are looking for great questions at any age! Making The Most Of Parent Teacher Conference Guide
You can even send your questions to the teachers beforehand so they are prepared to answer your concerns.
Follow Up As Needed –
As the teacher what the best communication tool is, whether it is email, phone calls, or another in person meeting. You can always request more meetings with a teacher outside of scheduled parent teacher times. Follow up communication allows you to get more detail and touch base more frequently.
What’s Going Well –
Make sure that you don’t leave a conference without finding out what is going well for your child. You need to know their strengths at school and teachers will be happy to share that with you.
What Can You Do At Home –
If your child has a routine or strategies that work at school, make sure to ask the teacher if it would be beneficial for you to do something similar at home. For instance, maybe they have a color scale to talk about feelings. Having similar language at home helps your child feel more secure.
Remember it is a partnership with the school and everyone wants the best for your child. Don’t ever hesitate to make contact with your child’s teacher whether it is parent teacher conference time or not.