Love them or hate them, parent teacher conferences are right around the corner. They may be dreaded, but they are a great opportunity for parents and teachers to get one-on-one time to talk individually about a student’s progress or where they could use some extra support. Here are some tips to help both parents and teachers to conquer their fears and make these conferences a productive and enjoyable experience.
- Show up. If a teacher has requested a conference with you, it means they care about your child and their education. If time is tight, make sure it’s a time of day that works best for your schedule, sometimes a teacher may offer video or phone conferences to accommodate your schedule.
- Report cards and assessments can be confusing. If these confuse you, ask your child’s teacher to breakdown your child’s growth, shortcomings and how you can help your child succeed. Remember, they are just there to help, they want what you do, they want your child to thrive. So be candid when you need a little extra explaining when it comes to the paperwork.
- Negative feedback can be discouraging. No parent wants to hear that their student isn’t paying attention, or is struggling to stay on task. But it’s important to hear these types of feedback so that you can be an informed parent and can encourage your child in ways that you don’t see at home. Remember, no one is perfect, and your child’s teacher isn’t being critical to be hurtful, they also just want what’s best for your child and the other students in the classroom.
- Your students aren’t hearing their feedback or ways they can improve. When you get home, it’s important to communicate with your child the ways their teacher thinks they can improve. If you aren’t sharing what the teacher said during the conference, then your child has no way of knowing what to do next. Help your child take ownership of their learning and let them know that the lines of communication are always open between school and home. You may also want to suggest student-led conferences to keep your child involved in their education.
- What’s next? After the conference you may be wondering what you should do next? If you aren’t sure how to help your child post-conference, it may be as simple as a conversation. You might want to just have a sit down with your child to go over what was said during the conference. It’s important to communicate the positive aspects as well as any shortcomings (in a gentle way), this will help your child understand how to move forward and make any adjustments to their behavior or studying habits in school.
It’s a good idea to remember that these conferences are designed to help you as a parent. To help you guide your children through their education and make the best of it. It’s also important to keep an open mind and go into the meeting knowing that your child’s teacher just wants what’s best for your student. If your teacher shows concern for your child’s learning and progress, it may be a good idea to consider tutoring or brain training to give them the best opportunity. To learn more about BrainFitU and how we can assist your child, give us a call or visit our website.