It’s hard to believe it, but report card and parent teacher conferences are upon us yet again. This month at East Nashville Hope Exchange, our workshop focused on preparing parents for engaging with their child’s teacher in an effective and positive manner.
Following this presentation, each family sat down with their child and a staff member or volunteer to make a plan. You can too! Here's how:
With your child, grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. Ask them to talk you through their school day from start to finish. On one side of the page, record the things that are going well. On the other side of the page, make note of things that need improvement. This may require some prompting to get details and identify concerns that need to be addressed.
I enjoyed sitting with Tiffani, one of our ENHE students, and her mother as they discussed what is happening in her classroom. Here are some examples of the questions she asked to get her daughter’s insights:
What is the first thing you do when you get to school?
What is the most challenging part of your day?
What do you do in class if you do not understand?
When do you feel most successful?
Does your teacher offer opportunities to work in small groups?
Once you have had the opportunity to talk through these things with your child, it is best to identify one or two concerns you plan to discuss with the teacher.
We hope you will take advantage of the upcoming opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and stay connected to their learning in and out of the classroom.