Parent: Sure. More parent-teacher teaching resources. “Parent-teacher meetings at the start of the year let you get a feel for the teacher and make sure that they’ve got a good picture of your child(ren). Most parents don't know the right questions to ask at parent-teacher interviews or how to interpret the answers, says a former education minister who is on a mission to change things. If you have any concerns about your child’s social or academic development, you don’t have to wait for a formal parent-teacher interview to talk about them. The Power of a Parent-Teacher Meeting. Parent-Teacher Conferences: Five Important Questions. Parent: I have one more request. Many schools and kura organise them for early in the year and then after a mid-year school report has been sent home. When preparing for parent-teacher conferences, it helps to understand the positive aspects of the meeting for parents. Now, I’m going to bring out some suggestions about this problem that I think they will help you. I was curious what other … Meetings are a perfect way for parents and teachers to work together on fostering a child’s further growth and lifelong success. You might want to check with your child's nanny or another caregiver who spends a lot of time with your child to see if she has any input. If you suspect your child is having trouble with reading and may be dyslexic, it’s important to schedule a meeting with their teacher as soon as possible. Observation and recording are an important part of assessing students and creating an optimised education plan for them. 1. At least twice a year, teachers get organised for a few late nights back at school running parent teacher interviews. The number of teachers we need to speak with, however, and the relatively short period of time assigned for each conference, can make the whole affair feel a little bit like speed dating. Some parents have more than one student in the school, multiple jobs, or may have difficulty traveling, so they need teachers to be flexible when scheduling conferences. When you're meeting with the teacher it may be hard to remember what you wanted to talk about. Questions To Ask During A Parent-Teacher Conference. What will your students learn this year in key subjects like math, science,history, and English? Here are fifteen tips to set you up for success before diving into parent-teacher meetings. 16 Overview Take advantage of parent-teacher conferences during the school year. How to Have a Successful Parent Teacher Conference. Guidelines to help you communicate effectively during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Try to keep in mind you are not the only parent the teacher is meeting with, and try to stay within your allotted time. When meeting with your child's teacher, remember that they are there to help your child learn and succeed. Test your understanding of how to conduct parent-teacher conferences with an interactive quiz and printable worksheet. What skills and knowledge will your students be expected to master this year? Jot down your questions beforehand and bring them to the conference. You can always schedule another meeting with the teacher to cover any points you didn’t cover. Offer a flexible conference schedule. Though many parents will be old pros at Zoom meetings by now, others will find the new technology a little daunting. If you don’t have a good strategy, that time can pass quickly without getting to the good stuff. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. What to Ask in a Parent Teacher Meeting About Reading Difficulties. 5 Smart Questions to Ask During Parent Teacher Conference. Teachers know parents may have questions, and plan to give parents a chance to talk as well. The parent asks questions of the teacher and learns that the inappropriate language happens when the class is taking turns reading out loud. Teacher: Please don’t mention that. This is the most important question, in my opinion. Login or Register to add to your saved resources. No one understands your child's academic development better than their teacher. Tomorrow is your meeting with your child's teacher and you do understand the importance of parent teacher conferences in school, but you are wondering what points to discuss or questions to ask at parent teacher meeting. How is the social environment in the classroom? If you are confused about how to make questions throughout a parent-teacher meeting, you are in the right place. Now with many teachers meeting parents through a virtual parent-teacher conference, we have to be even more prepared for the meeting and to help cultivate the home-school relationship. I believe it’s possible for teachers of self-contained classrooms to make phone calls to some 20 to 35 families—and I know it’s worth the effort. Try these ideas: If you’re teaching online, recommend parents use the same setup that their kids do each day for the conference. We’ve put together a list of questions below to help you gather the information you need during your meeting. Parent survey questions are survey questions asked to collect data regarding schooling, parent responsibilities, or even behavioral patterns of their children. While ideally teachers would be able to meet with every parent and have this kind of a conversation in person, I recognize that our schools are not aligned to this priority and we just don’t have the time. Understanding why you’re meeting will help you decide if a different type of conference is needed. Bring questions. To make your first parent teacher meeting as productive as possible, there are a few key things you could think about before hand. If you come to parent-teacher conferences with an idea of what exactly you want to know you will be ready to ask about anything your child’s teacher doesn’t cover. Knowing the purpose of the conference and its process are prerequisites for successful parent-teacher meetings. This is a meeting between you and the teacher to talk about your child’s learning and progress. Meeting preparation checklist: Ask your child how he or she feels about school. The meeting should be two-way; not just the teacher talking to the parent. I didn't need to ask questions as the teacher had everything bullet pointed on paper already for me and stuff to take away to help with phonics etc. Much in a school year depends on the teacher-child relationship, so it is important to check that this is a good one. Ask your child if there is anything that he or she wants you to talk about with his teacher. Your child’s IEP meeting is a great place to get some of your most pressing questions answered. 1. Write down your questions. The parent knows that the child struggles with reading and discovers that each student in class is called on to read out loud. You'll also be prepared to ask in a conversational style when the opportunity arises. Questions To Ask At Parent Teacher Conferences. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. Lucy Dimbylow explains how to get the best out of parent-teacher meetings by asking these eight questions. It’s a fantastic opportunity to sit down one-on-one with your students’ parents to discuss their child and how they are traveling socially, emotionally and academically. Unfortunately, these important meetings are often held in the middle of a workday, with only a few minutes allotted for each parent-teacher interview. So the best way to approach is to be positive and remember you are working on the same team. Your child’s teacher will be happy to arrange a meeting with you to discuss any issues. This essential information requires being clear about the goals for meeting and helps parents and teachers prepare relevant questions in advance. Keep track of your child’s schoolwork to help you with your questions. What are my child’s strengths? However, many parents are surprised to learn that teachers, especially new ones, are equally anxious about meeting parents! Having a game plan and knowing what questions to ask will put you in the best position to get the most out of the exercise for you and your high school student. When you identify and communicate the purpose of the meeting with your child’s teacher, in addition to being more prepared, it helps to alleviate any imagined fears the teacher may have about your request to hold a conference. Here are some tips which will help you to prepare for the upcoming parent teacher conference. They might be called parent-teacher interviews, parent-teacher conferences or even learning conferences. Why you should attend parent-teacher conferences. The trick to maximizing your very limited assigned time is to have a sense of what questions you deem essential before heading to the meeting. Parent-teacher conferences can provide much-needed insight into your child's learning style, growth opportunities, social and interaction styles, likes, dislikes, and the myriad of challenges that you may otherwise not know about. Here are some examples. Arranging parent-teacher meetings at other times. The time limit for each parent(s) at the annual Parent Teacher Meeting at Primary school is about 10 to 15 minutes long. Parents evening lasts for all of 5 mins at our school. Parent: T hank you so much. Teachers should be careful not to ask questions that might put parents on the defensive about their parenting style. Which activities most engage my child in her learning? Think of some questions and concerns you may have and write them down before your meeting. (Individual Education Plan) targets and assessment. What is a parent-teacher meeting? Bring questions. A Virtual Parent-Teacher Conference is Still Effective. So, when it is time for parent-teacher meetings, it’s wise to be prepared and come knowing what to expect and what to ask. Explore various parents survey questions that can be used to understand parenting and the factors that are important as a parent. Give all parents the tips and tools they need in advance so you don’t have to waste time during the conference itself. You get to look at their workbooks after talking to the teacher but they have a print out of objectives and where they are and they say how they are doing socially. 8 questions you must ask your child's teacher. This Parent-Teacher Interview Template also serves as a comprehensive meeting record based on I.E.P. If you could please update me with his progress in the last month. By asking this one question, you are actually asking a lot of other questions too. Ask the most important questions first as you may run out of time, especially if other parents are waiting to have their conference after yours. parent-teacher conferences and helping children and youth make good choices about what they do after school and in the summer. If you’re worried about virtual conferences having the same effect as in-person, don’t be! Prepare yourself for parent-teacher conferences by thinking about what information parents really should have. The Ten Most Important Questions to Ask At Parent Teacher Conferences 1) How is My Child Doing Socially? By asking the teacher this, you can find out a lot of things: if your child is a bully, is being bullied, is too withdrawn, too outgoing, etc. Teacher: Sure, you can have a word with me anytime or we can also fix a meeting. This question may be the most important. Identify the purpose of the conference and communicate it with the teacher. 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