About

5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Child's Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Graded

Student-parent-teacher conferences are a time for reflection on learning, student progress, and goal setting. These meetings are rare and special occasions during which students, parents, and teachers collectively discuss student growth. There's a lot to cover quickly, so we want to offer a few tips to help you make the most of these critical conversations with your child and their teachers.

1. Your child is present.

Student participation is a must for all grade levels. It’s their conference! Your child’s presence is critical for them to share their learning, hear from you, and get their teacher’s perspective; it’s a team effort. 

 

2. Set the stage for success; show up and be ready to focus. 

Lower School: Make sure you schedule a time for an in-person conference. On the day of the conference, aim to arrive early enough that you can tackle São Paulo traffic and park without stress, locate your child’s classroom, and get into a mindset for productive conversation about your child’s development.
Middle & High School: Set reminders or alarms for each conference. Find a quiet location with reliable internet access. In many upper school classes, students will be presenting slides or digital evidence of learning, so connecting from a computer or tablet is preferable to a phone.

 

3. Let your child take the lead.

While conference formats vary slightly by grade level and teacher, one constant remains: your child is the expert on their learning journey. Empower them and give them air space to discuss their learning, challenges, and goals during the conference. 

 

4. Focus on your child’s learning process and progress.

Grades are just one piece of the puzzle. Focus on your child’s growth and progress toward their learning goals. When your child discusses their experience, listen for what they've overcome, where they’ve improved, and what makes them feel proud. These anecdotes tell the real story of their learning. Then, together with your child and their teacher, you can identify what helps them learn best and what might be getting in the way.

 

5. Maximize conference time by prioritizing your questions.

Time flies in these meetings. Before your child's conference, consider what you'd like to ask them or their teacher. Feeling unsure? Here are five questions that will steer the conversation toward what matters on your child’s learning journey. 

  1. How is my child’s approach to learning and behavior in class influencing their growth?

  2. How does my child interact with others in class?

  3. How can I encourage my child to take greater ownership of their learning?

  4. Are there particular skills or concepts my child is struggling with? If so, how might they work on overcoming these challenges?

  5. What can I do at home to help support my child’s continued progress in your class?