Parent-teacher dynamics

Parent-teacher interview etiquette
After you receive your child's report card for the first term, you will be invited to a formal parent-teacher interview. Even if your child loves school and is getting straight A's, don't miss this opportunity to get to know his teacher better. Attending Home and School night shows your child as well as the school staff that you care about what happens in his classroom.

At this meeting, the classroom teacher will likely have a portfolio of your child's work to discuss with you. The teacher may also have displayed around the classroom samples of work by other children in the class. Don't be shy about asking to see other work samples by your child's peers; they might provide you with valuable insights into your own child's school performance. Sometimes the board or the provincial ministry of education produce guidelines with samples of the levels of achievement.

Talk to your child, too, before the meeting to remind yourself of what subjects or topics he likes and dislikes and what skills he's working to improve. Kids are concerned with more than grades, so talk about how they feel they're getting along with their classmates. If you have specific concerns, take a prepared list of questions and a copy of your child's report card to the meeting.

Let the teacher take the lead in your discussion. Listen carefully to what she says, and if she uses unfamiliar educational terms, ask her to clarify. If at the end of her comments you're still not clear about your child's progress, ask more specific questions.

If you still have questions after your 15-minute interview is over, request another meeting. Don't try to extend this interview into someone else's time slot. The teacher won't be able to give you her full attention if she's thinking about the parents waiting their turn outside the door.