Parent Teacher Conferences Don’t have to be Scary
Reading Time: 2 min
October is parent-teacher conference time and after a long pandemic, students are finally settling back into their classrooms and teachers are excited to meet with parents. The idea of discussing your child’s educational journey after such a tumultuous time may be causing some anxiety for parents and teachers alike. But have no fear, good preparation will ease any worries parents may have and make the first in-person parent-teacher meeting of this school year a great success.
Even if your child is having a smooth transition back to the classroom, it is still important to support their educational journey in any way you can. This starts with good parent-teacher communications including open and honest conversations with everyone involved in your students educational journey. Setting the expectations that you have for your child and aligning them with resources that the school can offer is a great way to ensure a successful school year.
Depending on school COVID policies, your conference may be virtual or it may be the first time that parents and teachers meet face to face. Either way, It’s important for parents to come to the meeting prepared to talk about the topline issues on their mind. To get prepared, here are some suggestions:
Come to the meeting prepared with questions to ask your child’s teacher. Whatever is on your mind, whether it's academic, behavioral or social, put it on the list of questions. Just remember to keep it brief, teachers typically only have 10-15 minutes to meet during conferences.
Think about ways you would like to be involved with your child's learning journey. Ask the teacher for suggestions on how you can be more involved either at school or at home. Teachers are always happy to help parents get more involved. Even the smallest tasks can have big rewards.
Stay positive! Approaching a parent-teacher conference with a positive outlook is a great way to set the stage for a successful meeting. It allows the conversation to flow more smoothly and will help ensure that you and your child’s teacher connect in a positive way.
If one of the takeaways from your parent-teacher meeting is that your child is behind in reading comprehension, then it’s time to look for a solution that supports improvements in this area. The Lou Adventures app improves reading comprehension skills and fluency, which ultimately builds a child’s confidence in reading. Lou the talking dog brings an online story to life by guiding the child through a virtual adventure, making reading fun and engaging.
