Parent-Teacher Conferences

I think of my fourth-grade teacher every year at parent-teacher conferences. I loved my fourth-grade teacher.  I can clearly remember being asked to write my first research project using a real encyclopedia. She made such nice comments about my work but also gently reminded me that using quotation marks and citing my sources was something I needed to do.  I also remember her perfect handwriting.  We spent a great amount of time practicing how to shape our cursive letters just right. I liked to do this a lot and tried to write just like her.  However, I have lived with the guilt of knowing that I shot a rubber band across the classroom the very day of parent-teacher conferences.

I do not know what I was thinking! My mother was a teacher, and this type of behavior was just not the kind of thing I wanted her to know or for my dad to find out.  I was in anguish about my mother going to conferences, and I did everything I could to avoid the subject when she came home.  I don’t recall much about my parent’s response, but I remember the stress of wondering what they knew. 

I share this silly story only to remind us all the parent-teacher conferences are intended to be an opportunity for teachers and parents to have open conversations about their students. And, that is a good thing! Parents and teachers can learn a lot from each other and benefit from working together to help students.  It takes teamwork for our students to succeed.

At times, conferences can be intimidating for parents to attend because they may not know what to expect, what questions to ask, or they may be concerned about what they may hear from the teacher. If you are feeling anxious or nervous about attending you may want to consider planning for the conversation. Public School View and  Care.Com  have some great suggestions for parents to consider as they prepare for conferences that may help you feel more confident with the process.

The relationship formed at conferences is intended to be a partnership, not something that is feared.  It is really about working together to meet the needs of our students. It is time well spent.