As a parent, you are your child’s first and most
important teacher. You and Defer School
have something in common: We both want
your child to learn and do well. When
parents and teachers talk to each other, each person can share important
information about your child’s talents and needs. Each person can also learn something new
about how to help your child.
Parent-teacher conferences are a great way to start talking to your child’s
teacher. This tip sheet suggests ways that you can make the most of the
parent-teacher conferences so that everyone wins, especially your child.
What should you
expect?
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A two-way
conversation. Like all good
conversations, parent/teacher/student conferences are best when both people
talk and listen. The conference is a time for you to learn
about your child’s progress in school:
share your child’s data notebook and see information about grades, test
scores, and homework completion. Find
out whether your child is meeting school expectations and academic
standards. This is also a time for the
teacher to learn about what your child is like at home. When you share with the teacher about your
child’s skills, interests, needs, and dreams, the teacher can help your child
more.
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Emphasis
on Learning. Good parent/teacher/
student conferences focus on how well the child is doing in school. They also talk about how the child can do
even better. To get ready for the
conversation, look at your child’s homework, tests, and their data notebook
before the conference. Keep track of any
questions you may have that you would like to ask the teacher.
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Opportunities
and challenges. Just like you,
teachers want your child to succeed. You
will probably hear positive feedback about your child’s progress and areas for improvement. Be prepared by thinking about your child’s
strengths and challenges beforehand. Be
ready to ask questions about ways you and the teacher can help your child with
some of his or her challenges.
Cited from:
Harvard Family Research Project
This year the
Defer conferences are scheduled on the evening of November 12th and
all day November 13th. Most
parents set up a scheduled conference time at Back to School Night. If you
have not set up an appointment, please let your child’s teacher know right away
so that a time can be scheduled. The
goal of the Defer staff is that we have 100% attendance at our Fall
Conferences.
