Getting ready for a parent-teacher conference

With progress reports soon to be sent home, it may be time to schedule a parent-teacher conference. The first quarter marking period ends in November with report cards going out around Nov. 19, so this can be a good time to check in with your child's teachers and nip any problems in the bud.

The NEA (http://www.nea.org/parents/ptconf.html) has some good tips on how to prepare for a parent-teacher conference. They give a list of questions to ask such as: Is my child in different groups for different subjects?, How well does my child get along with others? Does he or she participate in class discussions or activities? What kind of tests will my child take this year and what will we be able to learn from these tests? How does my child handle test-taking?

For more tips on meeting with your child's teachers, see the NEA website. But remember, open house is not the place to stage a parent-teacher conference. This makes it too difficult for all the parents who are waiting to meet the teachers and check in on their child's progress. If you have issues that take more than 10 minutes to discuss, schedule a conference!