Tips on Have a Successful Parent/Teacher Conference

Conferences are coming up in October! It’s an exciting time to participate in your child’s education as a partner with the teacher and school.

Tip #1 – Think about what you want to find out in the conference by preparing some thoughts or questions such as:  How is my child doing? Has he/she made friends with others in the class?  What does he/she normally do during outdoor playtime?  What are her favorite things to do at school? What can I do at home to support what you are doing at school? What’s going well? What are the struggles?

Tip #2 – Begin the conference with a warm, friendly greeting.  Conferences are a time for both parents and teachers to share honestly and sincerely about how the student is doing.  If there are concerns, handle them tactfully together with teachers. 

Tip #3 – Listen and share—do them both.  Parents are experts on their children in the home; teachers have a different experience and setting and will also want to do some talking.  An ideal first conference would be 50/50 parent-to-teacher talking. Your child’s teacher has known your child for only a fraction of the time you have, so please give input.  Make sure you talk about what you notice at home, things impacting your child’s learning, successes, interests, etc. 

Tip #4 – Be Open.  Your child’s teacher is likely to make some suggestions of things to try in the home, and we both want to develop a successful student who is ready for kindergarten.  Let it be seen that you are willing to work together, that you do not expect the school to do all the work.  It takes a whole team working together for student success! 

Tip #5 – Take notes if you need to.  It’s great to take notes if you need or want to.  Also make sure to ask any question if there’s something you don’t understand. 

Tip #6 – Avoid comparing.  Please avoid comparing your child to his/her siblings or with other children in the class.  We want to use that time to focus on your child – their strengths and areas of need.  Comparing them to others, especially in front of them, can hurt their feelings. 

Tip #7 – Stay on Schedule.  Please show up on time and end on time. Help the teacher keep on schedule because pushing conferences back 5 minutes impacts every conference after.  If you know the conference needs more time, ask to schedule another conference or to continue on the phone.  Let the teacher know that you appreciate their time, information, suggestions, and efforts on behalf of your child.

Tip #8 – Follow through.  Please follow-up with any plan that was agreed upon and let the teacher know how it is going.