Meet the Parents
Disciplinary Practices
"Every teacher deals with discipline different," noted Walfish. Even if — maybe especially if — the teacher's particular method of discipline doesn't match your own, it's a good question to ask. Knowing how this is handled in the classroom provides you with deeper understanding of what's going on in your child's day when you aren't around.
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Your Child's Progress
If this is your second or third conference with your child's teacher, now's the opportunity to ask how your child has improved since the last meeting. This allows you both to discuss some positives instead of strictly focusing on areas where your child has issues or may not excel.
Homework Assignments
Ask about how much — and what kind of — homework is assigned on a daily and weekly basis, suggested Walfish. Knowing this information can help you hold your child accountable. If your child has learning issues and the amount of homework seems overwhelming, this discussion provides an opportunity to nail down the best plan for your child.
The Home Front
Ask the teacher if there are specific ways you can help your child at home. That includes improving grades, social skills and homework. This gives you actionable takeaways and allows both parties to focus on solutions and not just problems.
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Bring Up Social Skills
Little suggested asking whether your child has any social issues that affect how she gets along with her classmates. If the answer is yes, get specifics and then ask if the teacher has any recommendations for addressing the problem before it turns into a major issue.
Lesson Plans
Get a handle on which educational topics are currently being discussed. You can also ask for a syllabus for the semester. If you are familiar with the topics being covered, you can try to incorporate educational opportunities into your child's daily life. For example, if the teacher plans to cover marine life, a visit to an aquarium is a fun weekend activity that makes what's going on in the classroom seem more real to your child.
