Questions to Ask During Your Next Parent-Teacher Conference
Meetings can be a lot of things. They can be productive.
They can be boring.
They can be stressful.
Most of the time, they are a weird combination of all three.
However, when it comes to parent-teacher conferences, everyone involved wants them to be as meaningful as possible. Unfortunately, that adds a unique kind of pressure to them. How do you share enough information in 30 minutes to make your kid’s school experience as positive as possible?
No need to panic. At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse®, we believe that parents and teachers are partners in education. Working together is the best way to give your child the quality education they deserve, and parent-teacher conferences play an important role in that partnership.
Here is a list of questions you can ask during a parent-teacher conference that will maximize the time you have with your child’s teacher.
General Questions
- What is my child like in class?
- Is my child talkative or quiet?
- Does my child have a favorite activity?
- Are there activities s/he doesn’t care for?
Strengths & Weaknesses
- What activities does my child excel at?
- Which individual subjects (math, science, reading, etc.) are they good at? What subjects are they struggling in?
- For areas of weakness, how are you (the teacher) adapting the lessons to help my child learn more easily?
Social/Emotional Development
- Is my child’s social and emotional development typical for his/her age?
- Does my child understand how to share and take turns?
- Do they express empathy and concern for other people?
- If you as the parent think it’s necessary, ask about specific interactions with certain teachers and classmates.
Getting Along With Adults
- Does my child know how to ask for something politely?
- How do staff members respond when my child has a problem?
- Does my child listen to and follow instructions?
Getting Along With Peers
- Is my child more inclined to play with other kids or by themselves?
- What happens during group activities? Does my child have a lot to say? Do other kids do most of the talking?
- Does my child have a best friend?
- Are there any kids my child doesn’t get along with?
- This is also the time where you as the parent can (and should) bring up concerns about your child’s interactions with his/her classmates if you have them.
Behavioral Issues
- Has my child behaved aggressively toward any classmates? Has a classmate behaved aggressively toward my child?
- If any aggressive behaviors have occurred, how did you (the teacher) respond?
- Did the aggressive behavior stop after the intervention or has it persisted?
- Are there some situations that tend to upset my child and trigger misbehavior more than others?
How Can You Help?
- What are some activities that would support learning at home? Are there good stories to read or games to play that might help my child pick up a subject more easily?
- How can I help you (the teacher) in promoting good behavior and social skills?
- If there are persistent developmental or behavioral issues that don’t seem to be getting better, are there experts you (the teacher) recommend who could help?
Last Question …
The last question you ask (or maybe the first question, if you think it’s necessary) could be, “May I tell you about what’s going on at home?”
The birth of a child, the death of a family member, a recent move, divorce, illness, or a host of other life events could be a big reason why your child could be struggling at school or behaving differently. Letting your child’s teacher know about them helps them out tremendously! If your teacher knows there are certain things going on in your child’s personal life that could affect their time at school, they can adjust and find solutions. If they’re totally in the dark, they can’t effectively help your child on a day-to-day basis.
There’s no need to go into lots of detail if you don’t want to. A brief summary of the situation is all they’ll need to start. If they have follow-up questions, they’ll ask.
Parent-Teacher Conferences at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse
Little Sunshine’s Playhouse has biannual parent-teacher conferences that play a big part in encouraging parental involvement and maintaining open communication about the progress of our students.
For more details, contact a location close to you today!
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