It’s that time of the year again. Those of us with school-aged children are attending parent-teacher conferences. Make the most of these conferences by bringing a pen and a copy of your child’s most recent school progress report. It may be helpful to take notes on the teachers’ answers to the following questions (Woodburn Press):
- Is my child’s homework completed thoroughly, accurately, and on time?
- Does my child seem organized? Does he/she come to class prepared?
- Is my child working up to his/her potential?
- Does my child use class time wisely?
- Does my child ask questions, volunteer answers, and participate in discussions?
- Does my child come to class on time?
- Does my child pay attention in class?
- Does my child get along with the other students?
- What are my child’s strengths?
- What areas does my child need to work on?
Before sharing teachers’ comments with your child, ask your son or daughter what feedback he/she would expect from each teacher. When sharing the information, start by highlighting areas of academic and personal strength. Subsequently discuss areas that need improvement and collaboratively brainstorm creative solutions for problem areas (i.e. packing a granola bar or packet of nuts and dried fruit to eat between afternoon classes if your child needs an energy boost to stay focused later in the school day). If your child is surprised by the teacher comments, encourage him/her to speak to the teacher(s) in question for additional feedback.
All the best,
Kathy
Readers, as always I welcome your feedback on this post. Please e-mail your letters to [email protected].
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