How to Attend Parents' Night

Parent-teacher conferences may always be a bit uncomfortable (do they have to make you sit in those itty-bitty chairs?), but they need not be confrontational. Follow the steps below to keep you and the teacher on the same team: your child's!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pens
• Personal Organizers
• Spiral Notebooks

1. Attend! If possible, both parents should participate. Don't make the mistake of assuming that because your child seems to be doing OK in school, you don't need to get involved.
2. Be prepared. Review your child's schoolwork and report cards. Decide which three to four issues you want to address with the teacher in the 20 to 30 minutes you will spend together.
3. Ask the teacher what concerns he or she may have about your child's school performance.
4. Be forthcoming. Family issues such as the death of a grandparent, an impending divorce or a parent's job loss may affect your child's school performance temporarily. The more the teacher knows, the more he or she can help.
5. If you and the teacher identify problems, focus on ways to help rather than on placing blame. Remember that you and the teacher have the same goal of helping your child succeed.
6. Take notes. Write down the specifics of the discussion so that you can refer to your notes later.
7. Respect the teacher's schedule. He or she has already put in a full teaching day and may well have five to seven conferences scheduled back-to-back each evening. If you need to address something beyond the time limits of the conference, ask to schedule another meeting.
8. Make a plan. Identify specific steps to take, as well as who is responsible for doing what, and by when.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid becoming defensive. You may not agree with everything the teacher says, and you should certainly express your view of the situation, but avoid falling into the "Not MY child!" trap.