Making the Most of School Conferences
It’s that time of year again…conferences!
For many parents, conferences are one of the few times each year to sit down with your child’s teacher to hear how your student is doing. Many times you are only allotted 10 or 15 minutes, and this time can often feel like it flies by. How can you make the most use of this time and leave really feeling like you had all of your questions answered? Here are some tips and tricks:
- The Different Types of Data
Often teachers will have a list of testing reports to demonstrate how your child is performing academically. While this gives you a snapshot of a child’s understanding, it is important to remember more often than not this test is summative in nature, meaning it is given one time at the conclusion of a unit. It is important to also ask about, or hopefully see, some formative assessments as well. These would be in class assignments, student self-assessment, or their writing process from beginning to final product. These formative assessments are where teachers are giving feedback and seeing how your child is performing on a daily basis throughout a unit of study, and they can often give a more complete picture of your child’s performance.
- Come Prepared
Spend some time before the conference thinking through what you want to ask the teacher. T oo often parents leave feeling like they missed their opportunity to ask some important questions. While it’s always encouraged to reach out to the teacher for any follow up questions over email, nothing can really replace the in person conversation where nuance in language is able to be heard and a back and forth conversation is a little easier to have.
If you are worried you have a lot to talk about and will run out of time, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher beforehand to show you any reports that are going to be shared. This gives you the opportunity to review the data first and have a more robust conversation. Some teachers may push back at this request, worried the parent won’t know how to interpret the scores. If the report is in a format you have seen before and the school is using the same assessment platform (IXL, FastBridge, Star Reading, etc) as previous years you can explain your comfort level with the reports and emphasize how you want to have more time discussing the results of the data at the conference.
- Check in With Your Child
Before a conference, it’s always a great idea to check in with your child. Ask them a few key questions to get a better understanding of how they perceive themselves as a student. Some examples many include:
- What subject do you think is going well and which one is giving you the most challenge?
- What do you think your teacher(s) is going to tell me about you?
- Is school hard or easy for you?
Based on these responses you might come up with some really great follow up questions for the teacher.
- It’s Not Just Academics
Most of the time it’s easy to just focus on how a student is doing academically, but I think it’s important to touch on all aspects of a child’s “performance” while at school. Some examples many include:
- Is my child getting along well with the other students?
- Is my student self motivated?
- Is my child volunteering information, or is the teacher always calling on them to assess understanding?
- Is my student showing perseverance when a concept is challenging?
Spending a few minutes on these student characteristics gives you a more detailed picture of your learner at school.
- Focus on the Partnership
The best school experience occurs when parents and teachers work together. The vast majority of teachers want what is best for your child, and they will work with you in order to help your student find success. Go into the conference with a positive attitude. And recognize the week of conferences is incredibly long for the teacher. They are emotionally and physically drained, especially by the end of the week. If you so desire, surprising your teacher with their favorite coffee “pick me up” or treat can go a long way to making that teacher feel appreciated. If that’s not in the budget, a friendly thank you email after the conference is a nice way to conclude the session on a positive note.
Hopefully these suggestions help you feel more prepared and ready to go into your child’s conferences!
After conferences, if you feel like your school is not working for your child, we can help!
