A 7-Step Guide to Navigating Parent-Teacher Interviews

Get C.O.N.T.E.N.T with Your Child’s Education

“Let’s give it time.” 

“I am not worried; they will develop throughout the year.”

“Let’s monitor that.”

You might hear these common statements at your child’s parent-teacher interview. How effective are these blanket statements really in understanding your child’s learning needs?

As a qualified teacher and an involved parent, I know these are surface-level comments requiring further understanding and attention. Parent-teacher interviews are a fantastic investment of your time and the perfect opportunity to get a comprehensive view of your child’s progress at school. However, leaving the parent-teacher interview C.O.N.T.E.N.T is the ultimate goal. Therefore, preparation is paramount to guarantee you leave the interview with clarity and direction.

Being C.O.N.T.E.N.T is easy with our 7-step process…

C – Confident

The goal is to feel confident going to the parent-teacher interview. One way of being confident is to be fully prepared with a clear agenda of what you want to address.

You are your child’s first teacher, and you know how they learn. When talking to the teacher, be confident in your knowledge of your child. If you feel it would support the teacher’s understanding of your child’s learning, take samples of work produced at home to the interview.

O – Open

Be open to hearing all perspectives. As parents, we see our child one way, as the home learning environment differs from the school learning environment.

The teacher will have their own perspective, and if your child has multiple teachers, they will each have their own views of how your child learns. Embrace all the different types of perspectives.

N – Navigate

Teachers will give you information about your child’s academic performance and behaviour. The best way to get the most out of the parent-teacher interview is to navigate what you are told and ask questions to learn and understand further.

Questions such as:

• What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What are my child’s learning goals?
• How can I support my child at home?
• How can my child move to the next grade level? What do they need to do to achieve this?

T – Tailor

As it is term 1,  teachers and students are still settling into the learning process. Sometimes information about your child doesn’t always get handed down through the year levels. Therefore, checking in with the teacher and ensuring they have all the information they need about your child is essential. This way, they can tailor the learning to suit your child’s learning needs.

All children have individual learning needs or personality differences in one way or another. Having a conversation about your child’s uniqueness will support the teacher in understanding how your child learns.

E – Explore

All children have the capacity to be extended from where they are in their learning. Therefore, the next part of the process is to explore what strategies can be implemented at home to support your child further. This could also be understanding your child’s learning goals and how these can be enhanced for your child to reach their full potential.

This is the time to go into depth around any blanket statements you might be unsure of.

N – Noteworthy

It is important to note the teachers’ suggestions and look for evidence of this within the learning environment at home.

If the teacher is concerned and wants to “monitor” your child’s learning, it is critical to note this and monitor the focus areas at home to ensure progress is made.

For some children, this is the time to note any challenges they face and look for external support and/or a second opinion.

T – Time

Parent-teacher interviews are short. Ensure you get the most out of them to support your child’s learning.

During the parent-teacher interview, if a teacher discusses a concern or highlights an area of challenge, do not dismiss it. Time is of the essence.

Learning gaps will become more significant if not addressed immediately. Parent-teacher interviews are the critical time to identify any concerns and the strategies for your child to move forward in their learning. Acting now ensures your child’s learning future.

I can not stress enough the importance of parent-teacher interviews and your being C.O.N.T.E.N.T at the end of the process.