Facing our child’s education can be daunting for some parents who carry feelings of anxiety from their own schooldays. However, many parents are surprised to learn that teachers, especially new ones, are equally anxious about meeting parents! So the best way to approach is to be positive and remember you are working on the same team.

The time limit for each parent(s) at the annual Parent Teacher Meeting at Primary level is about 10 to 15 minuets long. And at second level just a few minutes with each subject teacher.

It is therefore important to stick to the time allotted, as it can be irritating for other parents if the teacher’s time is monopolised by a couple of parents. (If there is a lengthy issue to discuss schedule a later appointment)

So, it helps to do a little a little advance work to maximise this valuable time. Here are a few pointers that may help

A Few Pointers

Talk to your child. Let them know about the meeting and ask them if there is anything they would like you raise with their Teacher(s)

(1)If you have any previous reports, check them for progress, trends, repeated behaviour and names of your child’s subject teachers!
(2)Come with prepared questions. Jot them down and anything else you want to raise in order to keep focused.
(3)The teacher will usually start with an outline of your child’s progress and will probably have examples of their work, test marks etc. So try and keep your questions specific and ask the important ones first.