Parent Teacher Conference

yep, I still attend even tho' my youngest is a freshman this year. I also attend the Open House at the beginning of the year. It's the only way to have 1sthand knowledge of what's up!

& funnier than funny: open house this year was an absolute BLAST! I reconnected with a lot of parents from my older son's school years, met new teachers, & visited with some of the older teachers. My son got to the point where he was trying to drag me away! Totally a social event for me!

Which means, I'm really looking forward to conferences next week!

Definetly. I still want more insight on what's going on and to talk to their teachers about their progress.

YES you always... attend parent/teacher conferences.
It is not only about 'grades.'
It is to talk with the Teacher and about your child's OVERALL, progress and/or any concerns.

A straight "A" student, does not mean they are perfect.
And if the child is overall great, then great!
You will then have a nice positive parent/teacher conference.
You do need to attend.
It also shows the Teacher, that the parent cares enough about their child, to attend the meeting. And to meet the Teacher.

My kid isn't in school yet, but I thought I'd share a teacher's perspective.

As a former high school teacher, I've thought very highly of all parents/caregivers who show up. So yes, I agree with many answers below about how showing up at these conferences communicates to the school a real concern for the kids' well-being.

But more importantly, it was an opportunity to exchange insights that would not easily happen any other way. Whether the kids were top of the class or not, I wanted the chance to give their families a little bit more feedback than a single-letter grade could ever tell, and it was a chance for me to ask about the kids' interests outside of the classroom, which I would incorporate into my lessons to boost motivation to study the more challenging topics in the curriculum.

Yes! Even good students always have something they can work on. Also, it's fun to hear the teacher give their praises. It's also important for establishing your parent/teacher relationship. I am new to being a high school parent and will have a very different conference experience this year. An experienced high school parent told me that the teachers consider attendance at conferences an important indicator of how the family views education and how much they care about their child's performance in school.

That's MORE reason to go. Well done!!!!

Yes!
The girls will need to know school is your top priority. So do the teachers.

At the conferences you need to ask what they will be studying next? What still needs improvement and what are things you can all do at home to help them stay as focused as they are right now.

Also I always told the teachers to be very honest about anything else they had observed that they felt they should share.

Our daughter was shy, so they mentioned maybe working on that part with her..

Also she tended not to raise her hand even though she knew answers.. They said in middle, high school and College, she was going to need to participate, because these teachers would not have her in their classrooms all day and could get the impression she is not interested.

It was good feed back for us.

I ALWAYS have gone to every single parent teacher conference. My daughter has always been a straight A (even getting 100's in some subjects) student. But that doesn't mean that the teacher might not have something useful to share with me, or something that she might like to hear from me about my child's style or whatever.
Besides, I think it gives the appearance that you don't care about your child's education if you blow it off. If you CAN'T go, then a note to the teacher explaining why or asking to reschedule would be in order... not just not showing up.

My son is in 2nd grade and he has no issues at all. I still attend. It's always nice to get to know the teacher better and hear that your child is doing well. It's nice to talk to the teacher and find out things I can do at home to encourage him and help him.

Absolutely GO...every time every year until graduation!

yes, there is always room for improvement.

Of course!
I can't imagine not attending a conference.
There's always something that needs "work" and some accomplishment or strength to be recognized!

I'm a strong believer in being there to help with putting a "parent to the kid" and being involved and making sure that my son's teacher knows that I'm involved and there to support his/her teaching efforts and policies.

Yes. we still attend conferences and I also volunteer at the school - Grace Arts, Spelling, Reading, Room Parent, etc. I'm involved in the school.

my boys are in the 4th and 6th...so in the 4th they are JUST starting the A through D grading...no longer giving "F"s...which I think is wrong..

My kids are bright but fail to follow through on homework - they do it here at home and forget to turn it in...I will NOT bring their stuff to school for them - I know some would say that's mean - but they have to learn...my coddling them will not help them be responsible.

So both of them lose grades in school since they do not always turn their work in. Since Greg is in the 6th - it's imperative that he get his act together as he hits middle school next year!!

I always thought these were for elementary and middle school aged kids. I had no idea they happened in high school. I don't recall ever hearing about them when I was in high school?

Hello Eagles---You must go to conferences. It is important to know what expectations are and each individual teacher has a different approach to how his/her classroom is run. I would also add that it sets an example for your girls and shows them that you are invested in their future and their academic success as well. It shows everyone that you care about the good news which will hopefully keep the not-so-good news at a minimum...or non-existent. Have fun! D.

I'm soooo glad my guys are grown and I don't have to worry about this anymore.

Unfortunately, when my guys were younger, my grandparents-in-law babysat my boys so that we could both work. We did attend the conferences and luckily enough my kids did well and didn't have a lot of behavior issues other than being boys.

My mom always went for me and I was always on the honor roll & never got in trouble. My son has never got in trouble & has always gotten good grades and I always go for him. Volunteering at the school is great! Parent Teacher Conference is an opportunity to sit down and focus on your child's performance in class. PTC is also an opportunity to give the teacher feedback based on how your child learns and how they feel about school/class.

Congratulations on straight As from your daughters and I hope you all become used to those grades.

Also, something most people don't know, but schools report conference attendance to the state and receive funding based on the percentage of parents that attend. So, as silly as it sounds, you are helping your school by going.

Yes. I've attended every single one of them since Pre-K and my girls are now in high school. All parents are given an appointment and all parents should attend, it's not only about addressing grades and behaviors. It's about parenting, communication, and being involved in the things that are important to your child.