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Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences banner with colorful confetti decoration

These meetings strengthen the home-school connection and ensure we're working together as partners in your child's learning journey. Conferences provide valuable insights into your child's academic progress, social development, and individual strengths, while also giving you the opportunity to share important information about your child that helps us support them better in the classroom.

Your checklist for conferences

OPEN CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE AT HOME AROUND CONFERENCES

BEFORE THE CONFERENCE  

  • Talk with your student about how things are going in school and in this course.  Ask them if they have any questions to ask the teacher so you may ask together.  

DURING THE CONFERENCE  

  • Ask the most important questions first as time will be brief in each conference.  Teachers are also happy to provide clarification or explanation if you need it.

AFTER THE CONFERENCE  

  • Speak with your student about how conferences went.  What did you both learn? What did you find interesting or insightful?  

  • Help your student map out an action plan to sustain strong performance and improve performance as needed.  

  • Follow up with a note, email or phone call to thank the teacher and clarify anything that was discussed at the conference that you did not fully understand.  Keep in touch with the teacher and do not hesitate to schedule follow-up meetings.  

From the Michigan Department of Education

Conference Articles

Reading Rockets: Tips for Successful Parent Teacher Conferences at Your Child's School. Get answers to your questions about parent-teacher conferences and find tips about how you can prepare for the conference, including suggested questions and topics to discuss. Reading Rockets is a national public media literacy initiative offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

The Chicago Parent: The unlikely truth about parent-teacher conferences. If you’re nervous about your child’s parent-teacher conference, it might help to keep in mind the teacher is probably just as nervous as you are. The Chicago Parent connects families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. 

Fatherly: 8 Common Phrases Teachers Say At Parent-Teacher Conferences, Explained. Teacher speak at a parent-teacher conference can sound like a foreign language. If you’ve been to even one, then you know how hard it can be to understand our insider lingo or know what to say at parent teacher conferences. Fatherly's mission is to empower men to raise great kids and lead more fulfilling adult lives through expert parenting advice, and hard-won insights into a challenging, but profoundly rewarding stage of life.

Color In Colorado: Tips for Parents: Parent/Teacher Conferences. Learn more about parent-teacher conferences and how you can use the meeting to ask questions that will help your child. Color In Colorado is a bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

What Questions Should You Ask At A Conference?

ABILITIES AND SKILLS 

  • What are my student’s strengths and areas of growth in your class? 

  • What skills will my student be expected to master in your course? 

  • What have you seen in my student’s performance compared to grade level standards?

  • What upper level opportunities are available for my student if they perform well in this course?

GRADES AND TESTS 

  • How are grades determined in this course? 

  • How is my student progressing academically? 

BEHAVIOR AND ENGAGEMENT 

  • What is my student like in class? 

  • How does my student interact with others? 

  • How does my student engage in work?  When do you notice they thrive?  When do they struggle and need more support?

SUPPORT AT HOME 

  • How much time should my student be spending on their homework? 

  • What can I do to support my student’s learning at home? 

  • How can I help my student to work independently and make the best use of time?

  • What is the best way to keep in touch with you?

  • What skills are being developed in your class that will help my student prepare for the next class ahead?

Based off of tip sheets found at https://advocatesforchildren.org/