Conferences

Post 176

Most schools schedule conferences for this time of year. The word alone can make you uncomfortable as a parent. What will the teacher have to say about your child? Are they social? Are they academically where they should be? What if there’s a problem? How much should you say?

First of all, remember, your child’s teacher is on your side. Educators want to see their students succeed. That’s what we’re there for! And we enjoy meeting our pupils’ families. It fills in their backgrounds and helps us to better understand them in class.

Secondly, please be on time. Usually conferences are scheduled one after another. If one runs late, all the others following will be. We try very hard to keep things running smoothly so it’s a big help to have parents/caretakers arrive promptly.

Next, listen to what your child’s teacher has to say. We spend a lot of time preparing for conferences, making sure we know where each of our students are academically and socially. At this time of year, the main emphasis in Kindergarten is has your little one made the transition from PreK to K well. If a child is comfortable and happy in the classroom, they will learn. So we want to make sure that all of our students have settled in nicely. We only see them in school so your feedback on what you are seeing at home is a big help. The same is true for higher grades. Although the emphasis might be more on where your child is academically, teachers still want to be sure students are enjoying their time in the classroom.

I would suggest you make a list of anything you want brought up. Most likely, a lot of what you are concerned about will be covered in either your child’s report or what their teacher has to say. But it’s easy to forget something when there is a time limit.

If you or your little student’s teacher feel you need more time, schedule a later meeting or phone call. No teacher is ever “bothered” by a parent or caretaker who is concerned about their child. If you are seeing a problem socially or academically, we want to know. It helps us help your child and get them on the right track. And, chances are, if you have a question, other families do, too. So don’t be afraid you are being a pain!

And please tell your little one how proud you are of them when you get home. Even if there are concerns, pick out something positive that was said at the conference and emphasize it to your child. All of us thrive when praised and children are no different. Setting a positive tone about school at this early age will go a long way to keeping it “fun” as your child progresses through the grades.😀

Take Care. 🙂