40 Questions to Ask at Parent-Teacher Conference

It is a known fact that along with the education provided in schools, parental involvement too can significantly influence a child’s academic success. This is one of the many reasons, schools call for Parent-Teacher meetings. These meetings are valuable opportunities to understand your child’s world. You will understand and communicate with your child better and also help the teacher work with your child for a better educational and social outcome. Parent-teacher meetings typically begin with an overview of the child’s report card. Then, the teacher shares some feedback about the child, after which parents can ask the teacher questions to understand how their child is faring in school. Here are some questions to ask the teacher at parents meetings.

What Is The Importance Of Parent-Teacher Meetings?

Parent-teacher meetings help teachers identify and share any issues with parents, regarding the child. Educators are trained to notice particular issues regarding academics, social skills, or general behaviour. By conducting regular parent-teacher meetings, these points can be discussed with parents to find mutual ways to tackle the situation before it escalates.

Parent-teacher meetings help create a positive environment for the child at school and at home. Additionally, it’s a great way for parents to understand why their child behaves a certain way and how to react appropriately.

Tips to Prepare for a Parent-Teacher Meeting

Talking in a parent-teacher meeting can be very troublesome for some folks. Be prepared to discuss the following with the teacher:

• An overview of your child’s work and his coping skills.
• Your child’s conduct in class and with their social skills with peers.
• Areas of improvement for your child and your involvement in making those changes.

To make the best use of this meeting, and to keep the communication flowing, these parent meetings in school tips will help along the way.

1. Schedule an Early Appointment

Make sure you take time out of your schedule to meet with the teacher early and discuss your child’s performance.

2. Speak to Your Child About School

It’s important to know what your child thinks about their school. It helps gauge how they perform in school, their likes and dislikes, and subjects that may need more attention, as they might find difficulties. It also helps you identify points that you can discuss with the teacher to help your child in their class.

3. Assess Your Child’s Report Card

Studying your child’s report card will help you get a clear understanding of their progress and areas of struggle. This understanding will help you discuss what the next course of action can be, and how your child will benefit from attention to overcome any problem areas.

4. Review Assignments and Tests

Take a good look at the assignment and tests with the teacher’s comments to get an understanding of where your child may be lacking or exceeding. You will get a holistic view of your child’s performance in class. Doing so will help you understand if the work is being completed. This can be then discussed with the teacher.

5. Note Down the Questions to Discuss

With every information that you’ve gathered on your child in school and their performance in class, make sure you have the questions you want to discuss with the teacher, written down. Discuss each point with the teacher so that a plan can be made to better your child’s education and social experience in school.

40 Questions You Should Ask Your Child’s Teacher at Parent’s Teacher Conference

Interacting with your child’s teacher a couple of times in a semester is always suggested. This will aid in identifying and analysing your child’s strengths and weaknesses, talk about issues at hand, and review your child’s overall growth. This is also an opportunity to create and build an easy flowing communication with your child’s teacher.

Utilising this opportunity to the maximum, here are 40 important parent teacher meeting questions, broken up into three categories, to ask during a parent-teacher meeting.

By addressing these queries, you’ll get an improved understanding of how your child is performing at school, and how their teacher plans on tackling any issues that they come across with your child.

General Questions

It has helped when parents grasp the school curriculum and understanding the teacher’s style of education. Here are some questions that can help:

1. What areas of expertise are being worked on right now, and how are they incorporated into the school’s overall goals for the year?
2. Is my child keeping up with the school’s curriculum?
3. What can we do at home to maintain the expectations academically?
4. How often you do you schedule tests? What impact do those grades have on my child’s academic future?
5. What is the school’s approach to homework? How are they reflecting on my child’s progress?
6. What can we do to help you out and work together to help my child grow this year?
7. What is your preferred teaching style? What methods can be implemented at home to be consistent with that of yours?
8. What is the best way to reach out to you with any questions? Email, phone, or a note sent through my child?
9. Are there any extra curricular activities that would benefit my child? 

Question on How to Further Improve Your Child’s Performance

While some folks approach parent-teacher conferences as a way to spot their child’s strengths and weaknesses, there are some who are not satisfied with the school curriculum and find it sub-par.

1. What action can be taken if my child is not being challenged enough?
2. Can you recommend some activities to support and polish my child’s learning?
3. What are some ways we can enrich learning in certain subjects?
4. Are there any strategies that encourage critical thinking at home or in class?

Questions About How to Tackle Children Who Are Under-Performing Academically

There are ways, parents and teachers can engage to improve your child if they’re struggling with schoolwork. Don’t shy away from asking hard questions, such as:

1. What is the standard of studies at which our child should be performing?
2. Can you discuss the areas in which my child is falling short?
3. Which subjects are the most challenging for my child?
4. Is my child facing difficulties on just tests or with schoolwork in general?
5. Have you noticed if my child is more responsive to a specific type of teaching? Can you suggest what we could do to improve the areas where my child is lacking?
6. What support structure is given to help my child keep up with their classmates?
7. How does the quality of my child’s work compare to his ability?
8. How would you say my child manages their time?
9. Are there any challenges you’re facing with teaching my child?
10. How can we overcome those together?
11. Are there any tools or methods we can implement at home to help my child learn better?
12. What books do you suggest my child read at home if he doesn’t particularly like reading?

Questions About Your Child’s Social Standing

Parent-teacher meetings mustn’t be restricted to discussing just the academic performance of your child. School life can mould how your child will develop their social skills and how it affects his learning. In this day and age, apart from just education, it is important to pay close attention to your child’s school life. Make sure to take the time to ask:

1. What is my child’s attitude like, in the class?
2. How is my child’s academic performance vis-a-vis his peers?
3. Does my child have trouble socialising in school?
4. Does the school organise activities to promote socialising among children?
5. What is the school’s policy on bullying? How do we tackle it, if such a situation is to come up?
6. Is my child bullying other kids? What do I say to my child to discourage such behaviour?
7. Do you believe my child is being bullied in class? How does the school help tackle this?
8. How does your school promote an open environment so children can come talk to you about problems?
9. Does my child have friends in school? Does he face difficulty in talking to peers?
10. What can we do to help my child make friends and interact more productively?
11. Do you believe having a homework buddy will help my child become more social?
12. Does confidence have a part to play in my child’s social skills?
13. What are some methods we can implement at home to improve my child’s social skills?
14. How does the school help children manage emotions better?
15. What do you do to promote sharing in the classroom?

Things To Remember In Parent Teacher Meetings

Parent-teacher meetings are as much for a child as it is for parents and teachers. It helps the two worlds of children come together to ensure that they get the most enriching schooling experience and excel in the future. Here are some tips for parent-teacher meetings.

• Speak to your child before the meeting to understand what issues he is struggling with. These can be addressed during the meeting
• Make a list of questions you wish to ask the teacher, before the meeting starts
• Listen to what the teacher has to say about the child. If there is a difference of opinion, make sure to respectfully discuss it.
• If you hear something negative regarding your child, do not humiliate him in front of his teachers and peers. 
• Each parent is given a certain amount of time for the meeting. Wrap up your slot within that allotted time.
• If you are unsure of any point being discussed, ask the teacher to explain further.

Post the Conference

Discussing with your child on how the meeting with their teacher went, will help ease their tension. Talk to them about what points were discussed regarding their academics and how you will help them. Take some time from your schedule to create a plan to help with problem areas. It is important to communicate with your child to be able to help them out.

It’s necessary to be involved and concerned about your child’s school life, and the best way to do that is to have a great rapport with their teacher. A good parent-teacher meeting will be fruitful when all points are discussed, and a plan of action is put in place for execution!

Teachers are always looking forward to having a discussion with parents who have an interest and are concerned about their child’s progress at school. Your child’s performance is both yours and the teacher’s shared responsibility.

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