November always sneaks up quickly and, before you know it, it is time for parent teacher conferences. As parents, these conferences are a great opportunity to understand how your child is doing academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. It also presents a chance for you to understand how your child presents and operates when you aren’t around. Finally, it helps shed a light on what curriculum is being taught and how. Parent teacher conferences often range from just 10 minutes to 40 minutes so it’s important to maximize the face to face time you have with your child’s teacher. Here are some helpful ways to prepare.

1. Talk to your child about school. 

This is the most important place to start! Ask your child specific questions about what they like about school, what is challenging, what is boring, what feels most exciting. This can help you better understand how your child is experiencing their academic year. Don’t forget to ask them if there is anything specific that they would like you to discuss with their teacher. Children of any age can feel uncomfortable advocating for themselves, and face to face conferences provide a great chance for you to help them learn how to do so. 

2. Review your child’s work 

Do this both with your child and independently. What scores have they received? What specific teacher feedback? Can your child explain and understand the feedback they received? This can help you know if your child is receiving adequate support from their teachers. Kids sometimes look at teacher feedback without understanding and require extra explanation. If this is the case you want to make sure to discuss it with their teacher. 

3. Make a list of questions relevant to your child. 

You want to make sure the questions you ask are specific and relevant and that you allow the teacher to guide the conference. Here are some good starting points:

• What are my child’s academic strengths and weaknesses?

• How can I support my child with their learning at home?

• How does my child relate to their classmates? 

• How does my child learn best?

Teachers spend a lot of time preparing for these short conferences and often have already selected the information that is most relevant. Allow your child’s teacher to guide the conference, but keep an eye on the clock! This will help you stay on track to get all of your questions answered. 

Remember, if all of your questions aren’t answered, that’s okay! You can always schedule a follow up with your child’s teacher if you feel you need more time.