Hard as it may be to believe, we are already a month into school. The shine of the new school year is starting to fade and for many families with school age children, this can be a challenging time.
Students are into the “meat” of the classes now and homework has ramped up. Grades are being posted on PowerSchool (or other grade programs). These are the days it’s crucial to monitor your student’s progress. You really don’t want to wait to know that they are missing assignments or failing tests. Check PowerSchool a couple of times a week at this time. Students should login themselves and you can go over it together.
October is the first round of parent/teacher conferences as well. This can often be a time to connect with teachers. I also know that many teachers connect with parents long before this time.
Should you go to parent/teacher conferences??
Maybe. Maybe not.
This is always a conundrum for parents and teachers.
The type of conferences may help determine which to attend and which to skip.
ARENA STYLE — This is when parents get 5 minutes with each teacher. People stand in line and wait their turn. This style is usually held in the cafeteria.
· If you have a couple of quick questions of the teacher, or just want to put a name with a face, go to these conferences.
· Try to mind the clock as other parents are waiting.
INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES—These are conferences that a parent signs up for with an individual teacher. These are usually 15-20 minutes.
· Sign up for these conferences if you have concerns and/or want to share important information with the teachers that can’t be shared in an email.
· If possible, try to have multiple teachers in this conference. Often, teachers are seeing similar patterns of concern and a team approach can often help everyone.
TEACHER REQUEST CONFERENCES — These are for parents of students the teachers may have concerns about. If a school calls for a conference about your child, go. Find a way to make it work. This call comes when there is a concern about something. Sometimes it’s not always about grades. Teachers may be seeing something they are concerned about in your child’s behavior or social issues that may be coming up.
You do not have to go to conferences if you have no concerns, you are not hearing from the teachers and your child is doing work and finding success. You CAN go but it is really o.k. if you don’t. The teachers will use that time to meet with parents that need more time and attention.
Also, don’t forget about the guidance counselors. They are usually required to be at conferences. This maybe a great time to bring concerns or questions you have regarding many different topics pertaining to your child. These people are excellent resources.
If you feel that your family might need extra help navigating this time, please feel free to reach out to me.
Good luck and I’ll see you in November!
Jan
A couple of reminders: First, while I am not a parent, I speak from my experience as an educator for over 30 years. My background is in health and physical education and school counseling. Second, what I write is strictly MY OPINION. I do not pretend to have the answers. I can only share what I know and what my experience has taught me. If something I say doesn’t fit you or your situation, don’t “wear” it.