Parent-teacher conferences are coming up fast. They are a great time to communicate with your child’s teacher one-on-one but they can also be nerve-racking. Not only do you want to get the most out of it and really understand how your child is doing in school, you probably also want to foster a positive relationship with your child’s teacher.
Having an idea of what you’re going to say and being prepared with some questions can help the conference run smoothly. So, if you’re new to parent-teacher conferences or just need some suggestions, here are some questions that would be appropriate to ask during a conference.
- “What are some of the things my child will be learning about this year?”
For those conferences that are held at the beginning of the school year, asking for an overview of the year can give you a good idea of what’s to come. Knowing what to expect in the curriculum can help you prepare your child and supplement with learning and activities at home. It’s also important to ask about what your child will be learning, so that you can accurately judge how much progress is being made and where he or she might need to improve.
18 Questions to Ask at a Parent Teacher Conference
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2. “How do you measure growth and progress?”
While there are state and district standards for how students are to be assessed, finding out how your child’s teacher monitors progress is key. If you know your child is a kinesthetic learner (someone who learns best by doing) and all of the progress monitoring is done through testing, it may not be an accurate assessment of your child’s true abilities. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, so that you (and your child!) understand how they’re being assessed and what might bring their grades down.
- “In which areas does my child need to improve?”
Remember, you and your child’s teacher are on the same team, so when you both know where your child can improve, you can both work to help them succeed. It can be a scary question for a parent to ask, because the answer may be more complex than anticipated. However, it’s impossible to help your child if you don’t know where he or she needs support. Your child’s teacher can offer great insight into the areas your child needs support, so be sure to ask and, more importantly, don’t be afraid to listen.
4. “Where can I get help or what can I do to support my child?”
When your child isn’t doing well in school, it’s scary. However, your child’s teacher knows a lot about the resources available to help your child do better. From after-school tutoring options to programs or practice you can do at home, she will be able to give you some ideas for things that will help your child succeed. You’re in this together and both have your child’s best interest at heart.
- “What can we do at home to help support our child in the classroom?”
Even if your child is doing well, there are things that you can do at home to help support the teacher’s efforts in the classroom. Ask about specific things that you can do to effect change and help your child excel in and out of school. Some teachers or schools also have expectations of things that parents should be doing, so it’s a good idea to ask and find out if there’s anything you’ve missed doing.
- “How can I help you?”
Students whose parents are involved in their education are much more likely to succeed. Part of that is helping your child’s teacher and supporting him or her. Not only will your child’s teacher appreciate the help, but it’s a great way to show your child how invested you are in his or her education.
Leave all pre-conceived notions about parent-teacher conferences at the door and go into the meeting with an open-mind and heart. Your son or daughter’s success is a priority for his or her teacher too. When you’re both on the same team, you can move mountains to give your child the support and encouragement he needs. Use the parent-teacher conference to build a strong, solid foundation of support.
18 Questions to Ask at a Parent Teacher Conference
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This is great. Here we only get 10 minutes with our kids teachers, so we have to fit everything in before the timer goes off!
I have attended several parent-teacher conferences at my daughters’ school and I have never asked these questions! Thanks for this list. We’ll be meeting next week and I’ll keep these in mind.
As an educator, I think it is so important for parents to have a list on hand of the questions they want to ask their child’s teacher during parent-teacher night. It’s a great way to open up the communication between the two.
Parent-teacher conferences can be overwhelmingly nerve-racking at times, so I love these list of questions. Thanks for sharing!
These are great questions to ask during conferences. We have them in a few weeks and I always try to ask questions to make sure we are all on the same page.
These are great questions. I’ve never been a parent and never will. But it’s crazy watching my friends stress over these types of events.
I am so lucky my kids are good students so I am usually told that they just need to keep up the good work.These are good tips for new parents and new schools.
As a former teacher I love all these questions! And I like how you make positive assumptions about the teacher wanting the best for your child, because this is typically the case, at least where I live. 😉 I always appreciated parents who were involved in their child’s education and asked questions when they needed to.
This is a very helpful tool for those first time teacher conferences. It can be a lot to take in, especially if you have more than one kid. I can see printing this out for each kid to keep track of everything you discuss with their teacher.
I also have 3 kids and it is so hard to keep track of what all the teachers say about each kid.
These are very good questions for any concerned parent. It’s important that we keep track of our kid’s progress through their teachers. Taking note of these questions!
Great questions! I never know what to ask at parent teacher conferences and I always feel rushed.
This is a good reminder for parents, I bet this is a must. Sometimes we forget what we ought to ask, and sometimes we never ask. These printables are essential.
What a fabulous idea. I definitely get stuck with what to ask next when I do parent teacher conferences. I love the last one though — what can I do to help you. Often parents forget just how much teachers are doing, and asking to help them is such an amazing way to show gratitude.
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This is a great resource for parents that are starting on their parent-teacher conference journey. And for those old hands, it’s a great refresher!
These are definitely some great ideas of what to ask the teacher during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Our younger kids’ teachers are having Parent-Teacher conferences soon.
These are great tips! Sometimes parent teacher conferences are a bit overwhelming so this is a nice way to make sure you don’t forget to ask your important questions.
Omg thIs is so helpful!!! With my daughter in kindergarten now, where she actually learns real things, I really do need to ask the right questions during the conference
These are really great questions. I like the one about measuring growth
Along with helping the conference run smoothly, I feel like it’ll make the meeting much more effective. I think there could be a lot parent, teacher, and child could learn from these types of meetings. However, it sounds like it just takes a little preparation to ensure it’s beneficial for everyone.
I am going to my first parent-teacher conference soon because my son started school this year and I want to make sure that I get the most out of the meeting, so I am glad that I found this article. You make a great point that you should ask the teacher what to expect in the curriculum because this way I can supplement at home and make sure that my son is prepared for what he will be learning. Also, I think the most important thing to do is to ask what the strengths and weaknesses of my child are in the classroom so that I know how to best help my son.
So glad to hear that this will help you. Thanks for the comment!