Parents Teacher Parent Teacher Conference Child Things Student's Meeting

A parent-teacher conference is a great opportunity for parents to have a "one-on-one" (personal; individual) discussion with their child's teacher when he or she is focused only on that student's performance, instead of on all the children in the classroom. Parents can "get more out of" (benefit more from) a parent-teacher conference by "making a list" (writing things down) of all the things they want to ask the teacher about before the meeting begins. They can also ask their child if he or she wants them to discuss anything "in particular" (specifically) with the teacher.

Teachers say that some parents become very "defensive" (defending oneself; not able to accept criticism or negative comments) when they hear what the teacher has to say. It is important to remember that the teacher "has the student's best interests at heart" (wants to do what is best for the student). If parents can listen "with an open mind" (willing to hear what is being said, without making judgments) and allow the teacher to give for his or her opinion, then parents can get a more complete and "accurate" (close to the truth) picture of how their child is doing in school.

Teachers suggest that parents "jot down" (write down quickly or informally) notes about what was discussed, so that they don't forget anything later. Instead of waiting, it is better if parents can talk with their child and tell him or her what was discussed in the meeting. If the teacher identified things that need to be worked on, the parents and child can create a plan for improvement and "follow up" (have another meeting or discussion) with the teacher in a few weeks or months.