Dear Parents,
As our teachers prepare for Parent-Teacher Interviews this week, I share some of my thoughts with you about how parents can get the most out of the interviews. Should you be interested in the guidelines I discussed with the teachers, you can CLICK HERE to read them.
Listed below are my thoughts for how you can contribute to a successful interview with your child's teacher:
Before the Teacher Conference
1. Talk to your child. Ask your child what his/her strongest and weakest subjects are, and which subjects he/she likes most and least. Ask your child if he/she would like you to speak about anything particular with the teacher. You want to find out both the positive and negative. Make sure that your child understands that you and the teacher are meeting to help him, so that he doesn't worry about the conference.
2. Look at recent projects and assessments. This will help you be prepared for what the teacher is going to discuss with you.
3. Prepare a list of notes. Make a list of topics that you want to discuss with the teacher and that you think the teacher should know, such as your concerns about the school, the child's home life, any major changes in your family, habits, hobbies, or anything that is worrying your child. Be sure to ask for input from your spouse or other adults that are caring for your child as well.
4. Prepare a list of questions. Preparing a list of questions will help you have a productive conversation with your child's teacher. Prioritize the questions because you won't have time to ask all of these in one 7 minute conference.
The following questions are examples that will help you learn more about your child's progress in school:
- What is my child expected to learn this year?
- How will this be evaluated?
- What are my child's strongest and weakest subjects?
- What are some examples of these strengths and weaknesses?
- Does my child hand homework in on time?
- What types of tests and evaluations will my child have to take this year?
- How are my child's test-taking skills?
- Is my child participating in class discussions and activities?
- How are my child's social skills?
- Does my child seem happy at school?
- Have you noticed any unusual behaviors?
- Has my child missed any classes other than his/her excused absences?
- Do you think my child is reaching his/her potential?
- What can I do at home to help support his/her academic progress?
During the Teacher Conference
1. Arrive early. With only a few precious minutes to spend, you don't want to be late. It will shorten your time with your child's teacher and affect her day's entire schedule. Remember: We only have 7 minutes per interview.
2. Enter with the right attitude and an open mind. The goal of both the teacher and the parent should be the success of the student, but sometimes parents have a hard time discussing tough issues. Rather than put the teacher on the defensive, arrive with a compliment to start the conference off on the right foot. ("My son is really enjoying the unit on multiplication" or "he had a great time at the Shabbat party.") Then address any concerns in a respectful way.
3. Teachers Want Your Input
Teachers are just as interested in your input as you are in theirs. There are many things about your child the teacher doesn't know. Teachers want to be apprised of any changes your child is facing in his personal or family life, and how he behaves at home in comparison to how he acts at school.
4. Tell the teacher what your child loves to do at home. Talk about non-academic skills your child has, unusual hobbies, or passions that lie outside the classroom. When the teacher knows these things, he/she can work to connect them to what they teach, making school more interesting for students and helping them feel like they are essential people in the classroom.
5. Be yourself. Relax and be yourself. Remember that you and the teacher both the want the same thing: the very best for your child.
6. Stay calm: Stay calm during the conference. Respectful communication will be the most effective way to work together with your child's teacher. Getting angry or upset during the conference will make it very difficult to have a positive conversation.
7. Respectfully discuss differences of opinion. If you disagree with the teacher, respectfully explain why you disagree. If you don't let the teacher know about your differences of opinion, the teacher may think that you agree and will move on to the next topic. Discussing your differences with the teacher may help both of you find a more effective way to help your child
8. Create an action plan: Ask your child's teacher for specific suggestions of ways that you can help your child at home with homework, reading, organization, routines, behavioral issues, etc. This list of suggestions will become the action plan. Establish a way to keep track of the child's progress, as well as the best way to stay in touch with your child's teacher - through phone calls, emails, notes, or meetings. Review the action plan with the teacher as you end the conference to make sure that you both have the same expectations.
9. Confirm the regularity of communication. Don't let this be the only time you talk to your child's teacher. Discuss how often you need to be in touch about your child's progress.
10. Thank the teacher for meeting with you. Thank the teacher for her time and support of your child, as well as for anything specific that she has done to help your child.
After the Teacher Conference
1. Talk with your child. Talk about the conference with your child. Emphasize the positive points, and be direct about problems that were discussed. If you and the teacher created an action plan, explain it to your child. Make sure that your child understands that you and the teacher created this plan to help him/her.
2. Start working on the action plan. Set the action plan in motion. If the teacher brings something to your attention that needs to be addressed with your child, take steps to put the plan in motion, whether it's helping with organizational skills, getting extra help, or addressing a social issue. To ensure that it is working, check your child's behavior and schoolwork on a regular basis. Ask your child how he feels about school and his schoolwork.
3. Keep in touch with the teacher. Stay in touch with your child's teachers. This will help you strengthen the parent-teacher partnership, and will be an important part of the child's success in school. When a child sees that parents and teachers are working together, the child will understand that his/her education is a top priority at school and at home.
We only have parent teacher interviews twice a year. I hope you will all maximize the experience so we can partner to improve the education of your child. Should you have any questions or concerns after the interviews please feel free to reach out to any member of our administration.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Rothman
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