As a teacher and a mom, I have been on both sides of the parent-teacher conference table. Here are a few thoughts from the parent’s side of the table.
1 – my child means the world to me. Please love and appreciate them and find the good in them, even when it’s difficult.
2 – please get to know my child and what makes them unique and special.
3 – please try not to judge my parenting. Very often, we’re doing the very best we can as a family. If you need us to do something specific, please tell us that directly. We need suggestions instead of judgment.
4 – please let me know specific things my child is doing well (instead of general praise, like “He’s doing great!”). I want to reinforce the good things my child is doing.
5 – please be honest with me about where my child is performing. If they are not performing on grade level in any subject, please let me know that.
6 – please let me know specific things I can do at home to help my child if they are not doing well in some area (besides “get a tutor”).
7 – please don’t talk negatively about my child to other people. Think about how you would want your own child to be treated.
8 – please welcome me into your classroom and into the school.
9 – please address any bullying in your classroom.
10 – please think about the value of the homework you assign. (From the education research: elementary students need to spend most of their homework time reading – not doing worksheets/activities about reading – and some math practice.) Anything more than 30-45 minutes is overkill and puts stress on everyone.
11 – please look for other areas in which my child is doing well and tell me about them. Are they kind to everyone? Do they work well with others? Are they creative in their thinking? Do they show artistic or mechanical talent in some way? Test scores don’t measure those important skills. Help me reinforce the good in my child.
12 – please don’t ask me to send in cupcakes or a plain t-shirt (or anything else that might require a trip to the store) by tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. We are often on tight time schedules during the week. Please give us a few day’s (or a week’s) notice.
If you’re a parent, what else would you suggest? Teachers want to know!