Getting to Know Your Child’s Teacher and Preparing for Your Parent Teacher Conference

Having a positive and effective relationship with your child’s teacher will lead to a better understanding of your child’s strengths and needs. This information can lead to better outcomes for your child. Here are some suggestions on how to do this.

Establishing a rapport

• Introduce yourself, be warm and approachable
• Appreciate the teachers work and efforts
• Let your teacher know of any changes in circumstances at home as this may affect your child’s performance at school
• Be a resource to the school, see below

What you can do for the school

• Offer to be a school governor
• Offer to volunteer in the classroom once or more a week to help with activities or read a story, this can be in your child’s class or another class (this will help you get a feel for the school)
• Offer to volunteer at school events
• Support school events by attending
• Donate supplies

Preparing for the parent teacher conference

• Be on time
• Take along a notepad and pen
• Get your questions ready (see below)
• Be honest
• Write your questions down
• Ask anyone in your family or who helps your family if they have any questions
• Ask your child what they like best or do not like at school
• Be honest about your child’s abilities and know that children can be very different at home than school
• Be prepared to hear both positive and negative comments, not every child is an angel one hundred percent of the time
• If the teacher makes a negative comment about your child, try not to get defensive and ask how to deal with the issue
• Try not to compare your child to other children

Questions to ask

• How does my child get on with other children? Do they play with the same children?
• How does my child manage conflict?
• How does the teacher manage discipline?
• How is my child emotionally? E.g. happy, shy, quiet, boisterous
• Does my child ask questions? Does my child answer questions?
• What is the daily schedule?
• What strengths does my child have?
• What weaknesses does my child have?
• Does my child complete tasks on time?
• Is my child organised?
• Is my child where they should be in regards to literacy and maths?
• Is my child where they should be in regards to fine motor skills e.g. writing and cutting?
• Is my child where they should be in regards to gross motor skills e.g. sports
• Is my child doing their best?
• Does the teacher have any concerns regarding attention?
• Does the teacher have any specific concerns about my child?
• Is there anything that I can do at home to help my child at school? E.g. reading, organisational skills independence, managing behaviour.
• Does the teacher recommend any outside school support?
• Ask the best way to follow up with anything or how generally to correspond e.g. in person, email or telephone