5 Questions to Ask at Parent-Teacher Conferences

Many private schools in Central Florida open their doors to parents to attend parent-teacher conferences. These conferences can be fantastic ice-breakers if your child’s teacher (or teachers) are unfamiliar to you. The combined resources of your knowledge of your child and the Diocese of Orlando teachers’ understanding of their student can give your child an excellent advantage going forward to reach greater heights in learning.It is an excellent idea to write a list of questions you would like to ask during the conference. Undoubtedly, both you and your child’s teacher will have a lot to share, so sometimes questions are forgotten. Run through your list of questions after the teacher is finished speaking towards the end of the conference. It is likely they may have answered your questions already, but checking your list ensures that you leave with no question unanswered. Below are a few questions you may want to have answered.

• Are my child’s grades online? Chances are the test and project grades are listed online for you to access through a parent portal with an access code. You can check daily, weekly, or at your leisure to see how your child is progressing and if any work may not have been completed.
• Is my child graded by tests, projects, portfolios, or all of these? Teachers in the Diocese of Orlando take education seriously and work with your child’s strengths while working through his or her weaknesses. Understanding how grades are compiled, as well as your child’s strengths or weaknesses, will help you better prepare your child for upcoming tests, projects, or portfolios.
• Are tests scheduled on a regular basis? Many classes have a spelling quiz or geography test every Friday, for instance. Knowing the schedule beforehand will help you prepare your child prior to these tests. Online websites for your child’s class can provide this information, and you may need information to access the website.
• How is my child’s behavior in class? Students who are disruptive at home may behave beautifully in the structure of a classroom, or vice versa. Parents are sometimes taken aback to learn how their child behaves in school. Knowing behavioral patterns before any negative behavior occurs helps parents realize what is happening while their child is in class.
• Is my child progressing? Asking how your child compares to other children may not give you the correct gauge as to how much is being learned. Instead, measure your child’s progress against himself or herself. Ask for copies of work at the beginning of the year and compare these to similar work completed recently. Comparing two like documents can prove how much is being learned during the school year.

Many students prepare work specifically for parent-teacher conferences. If your child has created a masterpiece being showcased at your parent-teacher conference, be sure to talk about it when you return home. Your child will appreciate your connection with his or her teacher, school, and education. To learn more about the private schools in Central Florida in the Diocese of Orlando, call 407-246-4903 and read our past blogs concerning Catholic education and our schools.