They can be awkward. They can be difficult. They may even seem pointless. For these reasons alone, many parents may dismiss the parent-teacher interview as being too brief a meeting, even entirely unimportant – but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
In order to clear up these common misconceptions, listed below are five reasons why these interviews are vital to your child’s education – as well as some tips on questions to ask of your child’s teacher in order to make these meetings as productive as possible.
#1 Get a comprehensive idea of your child’s progress
The clearest benefit to a parent-teacher interview is that you are in a position to get an inside perspective on your child’s schooling that may otherwise be unavailable to you. Simply asking your child how their day at school was may not provide any noteworthy information, especially as they grow older and become less responsive.
“It was fine” just doesn’t cut it.
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Their teacher, however, can provide an alternative– and more detailed – perspective of your child’s educational experience.
Whether your child has mentioned having a rough go in class or appears to be enjoying it just fine – these are great conversation starters within a parent-teacher interview. Your child’s teacher may be able to shed some light on identifying any problems and/or successes concerning your child.
#2 Find out if your child is struggling in class – before you read it in their report card
Many parents don’t realize their child is having a tough time in class until they see it reflected in their poor grades. By then it is often too late to do much until the following semester or even the next academic year!
Asking the teacher for results on recent assignments will give you some idea on how well your child is retaining the class material. With this information in hand, you can intervene if necessary in order to help your child resolve any issues they may be struggling with. If your child is having a hard time and requires extra help – the sooner you know, the easier it will be to resolve.
#3 Ask questions your child might not think to ask
If your child talks to their teacher, chances are their questions have a narrower scope. For example, they might ask for help on a specific problem or for clarification regarding assignment due dates and requirements.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that – since they are probably more focused on finishing their assignments and passing class rather than on their overall education. This is where you come in.
As a parent attending a parent-teacher interview, you’re in a position to ask about your child’s strengths and weaknesses as a student and about what specific areas they’ll need to work on in order to be successful in the coming terms or school years. Ask the teacher what goals your child should set for their future.
Teenagers aren’t usually as forward-thinking (when it comes to school) as their parents may be. This is an important role for you as a parent. Once you relay this information back to your child, it may nudge them to better plan for their educational future.
#4 Learn more about your child’s behaviour and learning
Just because your child behaves one way at home, doesn’t necessarily mean they act the same within a classroom setting. I’m not necessarily suggesting you should brace yourself to hear about behavioural horror stories (although these are often indications of underlying academic issues). But it doesn’t hurt to ask the teacher about your child’s level of engagement – especially across varying topics.
Oftentimes, if a child says they “just don’t like” certain topics in class, there may be more behind this comment. For example, it could be because they are falling behind or just don’t understand the concept behind the topic at hand.
Asking about your child’s level of organization is another important point to remember. As their parent, you may not realize they are unorganized – and this can be a significant contributor to any struggles they are facing.
#5 Gain information to help you help your child
Parent-teacher interviews, while often brief, are a golden opportunity to glean information about your child’s education that you just can’t get anywhere else.
It’s no secret that kids, teenagers especially, don’t often openly communicate with their parents about what’s happening at school. That’s why talking to the adults involved in their academic experience can be very enlightening.
Whatever you do, don’t skip out on the parent-teacher interview. You may find that your child is struggling and gain valuable insights as to why – and then figure out the appropriate steps to take in order to help them.
Even if things are going well at school for your child, attending a parent-teacher interview can provide you with some peace of mind at the very least. And it’s always interesting to get an inside perspective on their individual school experience.
Isaac Church graduated University with a bachelor’s degree and spends much of his time reading and more recently – writing and blogging. He lives in New Zealand.
I love this post so much. So many parents don’t understand how important it is to keep up with you child’s teachers. I’m always surprised when a teacher tells me that they DON’T need to talk to me about my children, because they are doing so well. I’m there anyway, asking questions and talking about what I see my kids struggling with. I call them, e-mail them, ask for conferences, anything I can to stay in touch with my kids, almost to the point of embarrassment for my kids, but I’d rather have all the information I need to help them succeed, rather than watch them struggle with no help.
YES!
As a former teacher it’s so important just to touch base with the teacher consistently. There’s so much that can be done for a child when the parents and teachers work together <3
I worked for several years at a grade school and I would hear teachers remark in the staff room how it were mostly the parents of students who had no problems who came to the open house.I would go not because there were issues but because I wanted to meet the person who would be with my kids 5 days a week,6 hours a day,10 months out of the year !