A conference partnering you, your kid and the teachers back at school has been proven to be quite effective in building and improving your kid’s performance and social skills. In order to get the best out of the conference, there are some important tips you need to have them right as a parent prior to the very meeting.
Whether your child is a performer, has a positive experience or has some challenges both academically and in social life; here are some great tips that will work out for the three of you.
1. Prior talk with your child
Before the scheduled day, make sure you have enough of information about your kid’s strongest and weakest points. Note those subjects with the highest performance, gather necessary data about the subject then compare with those he/she performs poorly.
Ask your child about those favorite lessons outside the class environment. Try as much as possible to identify that possible talent. Build confidence in your child; let him/her know that you want to help and not to criticize the possible weaknesses. At this point, avoid negative talk or any topic that may negatively affect the conference.
Make the session as interactive as possible; let your child speak out without any communication barrier. Record some important points that’ll act as a reference during the conference. Prioritize on noting those important points, make them in order for efficiency and effective flow of ideas.
It’s from here that you’ll know your child’s close friends, you’ll know their names and most importantly their characters. Go through your child’s classwork; check on the overall performance, assignments, and disciplinary records.
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2. Prepare questions
You are definitely going to have a long session hence the need to have well-structured questions. Make a list of topics you’re going to discuss, focus mainly on those general areas which will need each of your contributions. This includes the concerns about the school environment, your kid’s habits, class sitting position, hobbies, religious holidays and any topic that can be dealt with more easily.
A comprehensive understanding of your child’s performance both in the classroom and outside will require a three-way conversation. The teacher will also be having an already prepared report about your child’s progress. Your questions should be organized in such a way that it doesn’t sound so personal or interrupt the teacher’s relationship with your child.
The points in question should serve to provide guidance, outline important ideas and give a hint on some of the possible solutions your kid needs for a notable change in performance.
3. Approaching the conference
If you intend to achieve the best out of the conversational session, you have to create a welcoming environment. Make a private space for the three of you. This conference is an opportunity for your child to benefit from the combined efforts and also a chance for you to learn.
You’ll later come to appreciate the diversity in learning styles and help your child build the right attitude towards his style of reading.
Emphasize on learning rather than making suggestions and pointing accusations. Bring events and communication to an active discussion of strategies that will support the student improve the behavior, contact with other kids and performance at large.
Come up with useful tricks to encourage your kid to study, such as; organizing motivational trips, buying gifts and praising their good efforts where necessary.
When it comes to discussion on the contemporary issues affecting your child both at home and school, be aware of time shortage and here you have to start with those important points.
There are some topics you will discuss in the absence of your child, try to compare the answers you already have with those given by the teacher in charge. If there are any differences, settle them down and have the right information home.
4. Discuss progress and growth
Every parent is conscious of their children progress, their strengths, and challenges. The thing is to be positive in every aspect of speech you deliver. Praise is important for a work well done but criticism is necessary to rebuke misconduct, poor performance and allow for proper growth.
Try as much as you can to appreciate the unique strengths of your child, this will show how close, keen and serious you are concerning your child’s progress.
Another way to monitor the progress of your child is to know his/ her peers. Get important information from the teachers about their performance and social conduct. If their behaviors aren’t that satisfactory, get help from the teachers in counseling them and if possible cut that close contact with your child for better progress.
Make sure you have a formally combined class performance, observe the trend and note the gray areas. Look for possible solutions and address them accordingly. Show the high expectations you really have towards your child’s ability to make it in school and later in life.
5. Share ideas by use of examples
Make the session beneficial to all. Share important ideas that will support learning. Provide useful suggestions that the teacher can use for the betterment of the child’s results. Grab the teacher’s advice and make them a home routine. Avoid judgmental statements that aim at attacking one party, instead, own the mistakes you deserve and promise on working them out.
Use reliable examples to demonstrate some useful points. This will make the conversation real and lively. It’s easy to pick on points based on real-life situations.
6. Make an action plan
After gathering all the necessary information about your child’s progress at School, try to figure out the weaknesses you have also noted back at home. Combine them all in a list, together with the teacher; come up with an effective action plan taking care of all the challenges. Be specific on how you will implement all these and give a copy to the teacher in charge where you will help each other out in implementing the addressed issues.
7. Show gratitude
Be thankful for the time you had and the support the teacher has offered to your child. Schedule a follow-up to track the performance of your child. Make a valid contact with the teacher for consistent communication; this will build confidence and a stronger relationship where you can directly address issues between the two of you concerning your child.sources
