Parent-Teacher Conferences: What to Know and How to Prepare

Written by Allison Scott

Navigating a Parent-Teacher Conference

When a student ventures out on their own and is able to attend school, it opens many doors. They are learning to socialize with their peers, navigate a scheduled routine, and interact with more adults than before, from teachers to the parents of other students. This is an immense amount of change for some students, and it can be challenging for parents or legal guardians to know what really happens with their child during the school day. At a parent-teacher conference, parents and teachers will discuss a student's developmental and academic progress, and prepare a plan for improvement, if necessary. New teachers may find navigating this meeting challenging but, equipped with the right tools, it can be less intimidating.

The Structure of a Teacher-Parent Meeting

Parents will attend a parent-teacher conference typically a few times a year. These scheduled meetings are planned on a day when students do not go to school and are devoted to teachers being able to share information about students with their parents. In particular, it is a time for teachers to describe concerns or merits so that the parents are aware of what is going on with their child. The meetings will vary in time and location but are often around half an hour and are typically held at the school itself. Teachers will come prepared with a file on the student and likely will have notes about anything, in particular, they want to discuss. Parents will be expected to be on time and possibly have a list of questions in mind to get more detail about their child and their school experience.

The focus of the meeting will largely depend on the student. A well-behaved, high-performing student may not require a conference that takes very long. A well-behaved student with some academic problems could take more time and will likely have the bulk of the meeting focused on what everyone can do to help the student improve. Students with behavioral issues, academic concerns, or a combination of the two may require lengthier and more frequent meetings. However, rest assured that teachers have a plan of action in mind and recommendations that parents can use to assist their children in behavioral and academic ventures.

Parent-Teacher Conference

Teachers will often discuss academic performance, highlighting strengths and areas that could use improvement. This information is applicable in more ways than one. Awareness of what a child is good at and what skills they could develop helps with tutor planning, time allocation when doing homework, and any other academic preparation required to help them out. If a child excels in one subject, investing time or money in related resources might not be that beneficial. However, knowing that a child struggles with another subject can be a helpful guide for what to focus on.

For the areas that require additional work and attention, teachers will likely design a plan to make strides in particular areas and explain how they intend to help the student. It is also possible that the teacher will recommend another course of action, such as a private tutor or additional time studying with parents. Behavior and social skills will also be discussed. Most often, teachers will only highlight things that are on either end of the spectrum, but there is an opportunity for parents to ask any questions they may have as well.

When preparing for these parent-teacher meetings, it is helpful to remember that any effort is appreciated, and the teacher will guide the guardians through the experience. Remember that even conferences that seem to focus on weaknesses or areas that could use improvement are in the best interest of the child and their future success. A teacher's objective is to make their students better, more well-rounded people, and partnering with parents to achieve that is the point of meeting regularly.

Teacher-Student Conference

In addition to teacher-parent meetings, there are teacher-student conferences. As the name suggests, teacher-student conferences are an opportunity for students to meet one-on-one with their teacher to understand their performance in school and discuss any potential troubles they are dealing with.

The nature of these meetings will depend on the student and, in particular, their age. While young students may meet with their teacher to chat about things, it is not as likely they will go over specific details of their academic, social, and behavioral performance in the classroom. This is for many reasons, most of which are related to the possibility of confusion for the child.

However, older students will be better able to have conversations about their performance and areas of opportunity for improvement. They can also take advantage of the time to discuss plans like college preparation or what to expect in future grades that younger students would not necessarily ask about.

Compared to parent-teacher conferences, ones with students and their teachers can be more specific to class situations and schoolwork. Teachers can ask for feedback about lesson structure or how the classroom functions that would not be familiar to the parents. They can also speak freely about their interactions with other students and express things the teacher may not have known.

Ultimately, the goal of both types of meetings is the same: Teachers are trying to help the students succeed to the best of their ability. Whether discussing the particulars of the classroom function or going over what can be done at home to supplement schoolwork, both bring unique benefits to everyone involved.

How to Prepare for a Parent-Teacher Conference

On the other side of the meeting are the teachers. And while parent-teacher conferences are valuable tools for building relationships with parents and explaining academic and behavioral strengths and weaknesses, learning how to host these meetings is a skill.

Being well-organized and planning ahead are the best ways to approach the conferences, but some other tips for teachers include:

• Leave extra time: When creating a schedule to meet with parents, remember that some people could hit traffic and arrive late, while others require more time than anticipated. Additionally, bathroom breaks and time to decompress before beginning another meeting are factors to keep in mind. If possible, reserve at least 10 minutes of free time between meetings to allow for smoother interactions.
• Over communicate in advance: It is considerate to give as much information as possible to parents and guardians so they can fit conferences into their busy schedules. This will allow plenty of schedule adjustments and preparation on their end to help make the day go better.
• Have samples of work: Parents can see the projects their child completes in the classroom and how they perform in school based on the work they take home. Add samples of their work to a folder to ensure that it is on hand to discuss with guardians. This can be especially helpful if students are thriving in one subject and struggling in another or if they could use additional help from outside resources.
• Talk about next steps: Parents can be most supportive of their child's education if they are aware of what is coming up on the syllabus. It can be helpful to go through a detailed description of future topics in the classroom and what parents can expect to see coming home with their child from teachers or the school. This can be as detailed as is required, but it keeps parents in the loop and creates a healthy relationship.
• Go over communication methods: Teachers are great about being available to chat with parents about their children for many hours each school day, but setting boundaries for this type of communication is key. Talk the parents through what hours and methods of communication are appropriate. Follow through with those methods by responding to their requests promptly to help instill confidence in the process.

Parent-Teacher Conference Tips

The most crucial thing regarding parent-teacher conferences is to go in with an open mind and know that everyone involved has the child's best interests at heart. All comments, feedback, and other information shared during the meeting help uplift the child and their experience during the academic year while providing the best communication possible between parents and the teacher.

Aside from attitude and approach, there are a few parent-teacher conference tips that are helpful to keep in mind:

• Actively listen: With the many distractions that exist in the world, it can be challenging to focus on one task at a time. But parent-teacher conferences are only a small amount of time and provide immense value. As such, it is vital to pay close attention to the conversation at hand and eliminate as many distractions as possible.
• Create a united front: Parents and teachers are the adult role models that children interact with the most in their youth. That means there is a significant benefit to both parties being on the same page about what is best for the student and how to approach various situations. Try to talk through disagreements as they come up while still remembering both parties are working toward the same goals.
• Emphasize goals: Both parents and teachers may attend conference meetings with something specific in mind. That is an excellent approach because being prepared can make the meetings more efficient. Have a few goals established for the child. These could be related to academic subjects, socializing, or general behavior. Whatever they are, discuss them in depth with teachers to ensure they are clear and aligned with the plan for the remainder of the school year.
• Provide options for communication: Because parent-teacher meetings do not happen frequently, it is beneficial to communicate with the teacher even when meetings are not right around the corner. Discuss whether dropping by the classroom before school starts or at pickup is a good option or if there is a preference for digital communication like email. Remember that teachers have hectic schedules, so verifying the preferred method of communication is vital to maintaining a respectful relationship and not overstepping boundaries.
• Avoid comparison: Each school year will create unique challenges depending on the child. With that in mind, know that it is unfair to compare two children to each other, even if they are twins or very close friends sharing similar experiences. While discussing school and how children are doing with other parents and friends is normal, avoid giving in and feeling bad because one kid is underperforming in a specific area. With a united front and strategic planning, parents and teachers can work together for the desired outcome.

Something else to remember is that each conference will be a bit different. While there is a fine line when being too involved in a child's school experience, being prepared and listening to the teacher and their recommendations can only have positive results.

Parent Teacher Conferences are one of the many aspects one must consider when becoming a teacher. The PRAXIS is another step along the journey to consider, learn more about this test here.

Common Questions Asked at a Teacher-Parent Meeting

Conversations at a parent-teacher conference are intended to better the relationship between the two parties and ensure both sides understand what the child is doing and what can be improved. Going into the meeting with questions prepared and a plan to discuss various significant points like study methods that can be reinforced at home or tools that should be looked into to help the child improve can go a long way in making the year a success.

Teachers can expect that parents will have many questions to ask at a parent-teacher conference. While many parents will arrive at the school with these questions prepared because they are specific or they have already attended many of these meetings, there can sometimes be anxiety related to what the right thing to ask is.

Some common questions parents may ask include:

Asking any of these questions can help parents understand all aspects of their child's performance in school. While it may be comforting to believe that students are thriving and everything they say about their educational experience is true, getting confirmation and clarification from their teacher proves beneficial for planning. Ultimately, the goal is to have students excel in their lives, so knowing their academic, social, and emotional strengths and weaknesses can only help them in the long term.