Q. My son’s school year is about to start.  Last year we didn’t have much communication with his teacher, and I felt out of the loop.  How can I get off to a better start with this year’s teacher?

A. The start of the new school year is an exciting and hopeful time.  It’s also the perfect time to check your son’s school’s web site to see if parent-teacher conference information has been posted.  If not, call the school principal or counselor to see what policies are in place about scheduling a parent-teacher conference with your son’s teacher(s).

In any case, as a parent you can schedule a time to meet your child’s teacher.  Here are a few tips that should help your parent-teacher conference be as productive as possible.

Before the conference:

• Talk to your child about the upcoming school year.  What is he excited about? What are his favorite subjects? What is he most worried about?

• Consider your own feelings. What are you most excited about? What are you most concerned about (making friends, bullying, math, lunch routine, etc.)?

At the conference:

• Start on a positive note – introduce yourself and share the name of your child.  Even if you have met before, reminders of names are polite, especially if your child has a different last name than yours.

• Talk about your child, sharing his excitement about school, and his concerns.  Then, share your excitement and concerns.

• Express your interest in the coming year…

• What will they be learning?
• How can you support your child’s learning at home?
• How often are progress reports given?
• What are the school policies about your concerns?
• What can you do to help make this a good year for your child?
• How can you contact her (the teacher) if you have questions (email, phone, Facebook, school web page, etc.)?

• Share with the teacher the best way to contact you.

• Thank her for her time and wish her a good year.

After the conference:

• Send a thank you note.

• Let the teacher know throughout the year about your child’s positive experiences in her class.  If a problem or issue arises, you have invested in positive communication. Issues will be easier to address if you already have a positive history with her.

• Follow up on things that you have agreed to do during the school year.

• Keep your child in the loop; he is a member of the team too! Acknowledge his progress to the teacher and to him.

• Try to stay positive and stay involved with the school – this can help you to have a great year.

 

PEAK Parent Center www.peakparent.org - Fall 2010 SPEAKout Newsletter

Copyright 2010 © by PEAK Parent Center, Inc.  All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce may be obtained from PEAK Parent Center.