Talk with Your Child’s Teacher

You can call your child’s teacher and arrange a talk at any time you have a concern or question. You can discuss your child’s progress and plan as a team how you can work together to make this year a positive one for your child. The more you get to know the teachers, staff, and subjects your child is studying, the better your child’s educational experience will be. To help you get the most out of your meeting, here is a checklist of items to consider.

• Make the appointment. Just send a note to the teacher in your child’s agenda, call, or email the teacher.
• Talk to your child. Invite your child to attend the meeting too. Ask them if there is anything they think you should discuss with the teacher. Find out their favourite and least favourite subjects. Make sure your child understands that you and the teacher are meeting to help them and not because there is a problem.
• Write out a list of questions. Before going into the meeting, make a list of questions and issues you want to discuss with the teacher. Here are a few to consider:
  • How is my child doing?
  • What are your goals and expectations for the year?
  • Does my child participate in class discussions? Is she actively involved in learning?
  • How does my child get along with others? How are his/her friendships?
  • How can I help my child improve his work?
  • How much homework are students expected to do each night?
  • How can my child get extra help if he needs it? Or if you don’t feel your child is stimulated enough, how can my child get additional work?
  • How can we find out about extracurricular activities and sports programs?
  • Is my child performing at the right level?

At the Meeting

Be sure to express any positive impressions of the teacher and share any nice comments your child has made about him or her. Everyone likes to hear good news and it’s a good icebreaker to start the meeting.

If you know your child well, there will be few surprises at the meeting. The teacher will likely tell you about study and behavioral issues that are the same as at home.

• Review your questions. Make sure you ask the important ones first. The time can go quickly.
• Include your child in the meeting. Make sure you and the teacher talk directly to your child, so they understand you are all working together.
• Ask the teacher about your child’s interests at school. You may find your child has interests you never realized!
• Talk about life at home. Take the time to talk to the teacher about your child’s home life, habits, hobbies and interests. Let the teacher know if your child is in after school activities such as day care, hockey or dance, or if there are issues in the home that may be distracting your child from academics, for example, a new baby, a sick relative, or if some other change is affecting your child.
• Be prepared to develop a Growth Plan. If there are academic or behavioral issues to address, the teacher may wish to work with you to prepare a “Growth Plan” for your child. Ask if the teacher has any study tips to help your child. Plan for a follow up meeting, if necessary.

After the Meeting

• Stay in touch with the teacher, through notes in the agenda, email, or by telephone.
• Keep the teacher appraised on any changes at home and ask for help if your child’s behavior or study habits change or if you notice a change in their grades.
• If problems develop, ask to meet again.
• Finally, be sure to praise your child when they work hard on an assignment or perform well on a test. Your positive encouragement will give your child the motivation to do their best!

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