Making the Most of Your Parent-Teacher Conference (page 2)

Making the most of your parent-teacher conference

During parent-teacher conferences, teachers set aside time from their classes to meet with parents about their children’s progress in school. From school to school, conferences vary. Schoolwide conferences are generally available at the beginning of the school year. But parents do not need to wait for the scheduled parent-teacher conference dates to meet with their child’s teacher if they have concerns. Parents can request a conference when needed and set up a convenient time and place to meet. Below are a few suggestions for parents to consider so they can make the most of the time they have with teachers.  

Before the conference:

• Talk with your child about school. Ask: 
• What do you like best about school?
• Who do you like to play and work with at school?
• What have you been learning at school?
• Are you having a hard time with anything you are learning at school?

Do a little homework:

• If your work hours or child-care arrangement do not allow you to attend a conference during the scheduled time, let the teacher know and arrange for a different day, time or place.
• Review any of the materials your child’s teacher sent home about the curriculum he or she is teaching. 
• Think about your child’s homework. Has your child had homework? How much? How difficult has it been for her to complete his or her homework?
• Look at the Ohio Department of Education’s Standards Guides for Families and ask your child about the grade level indicators he or she has been learning at school. 

What to bring to the conference:

• Samples of your child’s homework that you have questions about;
• Any information you have about the curriculum in your child’s classroom;
• The Standards Guide for Families for your child’s grade;
• Paper and pen;
• An open mind and a smile;
• Your child. It is up to you to decide if it is best for your child to attend the conference. You may also ask your child’s teacher(s) for any preferences about children attending conferences.