Parent-teacher nights play a critical role in a child’s education. But too often parents do not prepare before they meet with teachers to discuss a youngster’s performance at school.
They should, according to Annie Kidder, the executive director of the parent-led Toronto organization People for Education.
“One of the most important things you can do for your child is to go to parent-teacher meetings,” Kidder told CTV’s Canada AM on Wednesday.
“It’s not just the marks that are important,” she added. “Even if your child is an A student, you need to find out how your child is doing socially and if they are working well with other kids. How your child feels at schools is as important as anything else.”
Here’s a simple plan parents can follow to make the most of these meetings:
1. Review a child’s report card before the meeting. Also, talk to your child to find out what’s going on at school in advance of parent-teacher night.
2. Write down questions for teachers before your arrival at the meeting.
3. According to retired elementary school principal Bills Sparks, parents should expect teachers to show them a sample of their child’s work at these meetings. “A teacher should have a sample of a child’s best work, and something that needs a little improvement,” Sparks told Canada AM. The point is to use these materials to assess a child’s performance and help the youngster move forward in a constructive manner.
4. If your child is already an A student, don’t skip parent-teacher night. Use this time to learn about programs, clubs and websites that may help your child advance further at school.
5. Keep the lines of communication open with a teacher so you can check in on a child’s progress in the months ahead.
6. If your child has special needs, parents need to understand that there may be 30 other children in the class. But teachers also need to be empathetic to the fact that parents often feel like they are up against the system. If a parent requires more time to discuss their child, arrange another time and let the teacher move on to the other parents.
7. Parents should be involved in their children’s education, but they should avoid helicopter parenting – or hovering too close. A teacher or school principal can help parents establish appropriate boundaries, particularly as they monitor their children’s homework.
8. It's up to the individual family to decide whether it may be useful to have a child present on parent-teacher night. However, children in Grades 5 and beyond may find it useful to hear what a teacher and parent has to say about their progress.
