When you meet your child’s teacher who is in charge? How do you get the information you need?
I hope that you are going to the parent/teacher conference at your school. Here are some ways to make sure that the meeting is useful and not time wasting.
1. Have some questions ready before you meet the teacher
Teachers like answering questions, they are good at it. When you ask specific questions about your child’s progress they can give you specific answers, otherwise the answers you get might be so vague that you really don’t learn anything useful.
2. Be on time
There is nothing as annoying as a parent who arrives late and takes up time allocated to another parent. If you really can’t make it on time make another appointment. Seriously!
3. Write down your questions
It can be very difficult to remember what you want to ask when you are sitting on a small chair or are in a room full of other parents and teachers. Write your questions down and check them off as you get answers.
4. Don’t expect to have all your questions answered
Some issues need time to explore carefully, a ten minute session may not be sufficient. Be prepared to come back later to get serious issues dealt with. But insist that they do get dealt with.
5. Ask your child what information you should be looking for
Children have great insight into their own learning. Ask them what they want the teacher to tell you – and report back when you have the answer.
6. Don’t get sidetracked
Teachers have their own agenda, things they want you to know. That is fine, but make sure that your agenda gets priority – you do have one don’t you?
7. Give back
You need information from the teacher, he needs information from you. Be prepared to share information about home learning issues, bedtime troubles (only please don’t ask the teacher to tell your child when to go to bed!), the stresses and strains of family living. Then, with luck, the teacher can adapt how he helps your child learn to take account of these circumstances.
8. If you don’t understand, say so
Teachers are very good at using jargon, and there is a lot of jargon in the education system. If the teacher uses a word or an acronym that you are not sure of – ask for an explanation.
9. Watch out for ‘squirrely’ words
All teachers use them, the words that don’t quite tell you that your child has a learning problem but leave you thinking your child is doing OK. Take especial care over any sentence that starts with ‘but’. ‘Squirrely’ words are normally about feelings and social actions (plays well with others; has lots of friends; feels more confident now; is making good progress). Ask what the words actually mean how many friends?, what type of progress? what do you mean by ‘now’?
10. Be serious, but don’t take things too seriously
This is probably the first reporting back session of the year – so there is time to make a difference. If you don’t like what you hear, or you don’t hear what you like, you can use the rest of the school year to make sure that your child gets the education he needs.
But don’t waste time.
Your child needs your support, you need to know exactly what support your child needs.
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