Questions to Ask Your Student's Teacher This Parent-Teacher Conference

As we approach fall break here in Chula Vista, it's also important to note that we approach the end of the first grading period, and parent-teacher conferences. Conferences are a very meaningful point of communication for parents and educators: your child's teacher knows best their performance in class, and where your student has opportunities for growth and may need extra support. So how do we get the most out of our conferences? What do we ask?

1. Curriculum: What will my student learn this year? How do their classes this year build upon past years? Asking the teacher about the curriculum for the year allows you to find out what your child will be learning, the complexity, and the common core standards and curriculum from an expert! Any questions you may have about standards, material that your student will cover, etc. can be explained in greater detail by the teacher, and this allows parents to see and find out from the teacher where courses typically tend to become difficult for students, which can alleviate anxiety or frustration should your student encounter difficulties at this point, or so parents can prepare ahead of time any extra support their student might need. Common core curriculum also builds upon what students were expected to learn in previous years (and that might not necessarily always be the case), so asking how past material relates to future material can allow parents to communicate to the teacher their concerns about how their student will do in this area.
2. Homework/Test/Quiz Policies: Does my child hand homework in on time? How long should homework take each night? How is my student doing on homework? On tests? Homework time can be stressful for any student. But if you see your student is spending significantly longer than the teacher's intended duration, it is worth raising these concerns to the teacher. Your child's scores on assignments, projects, and assessments is also an area the teacher may be able to share about. For example, regularly high marks on homework and classwork and completing all assignments and studying, but receiving low marks on tests or quizzes can be an indicator of misunderstanding of concepts, poor retention, test anxiety, or another ongoing issue that the teacher may be able to shed more light on.
3. Motivation: Is my student participating? What is their conduct like normally in class? Is my child usually on task? Do you think my student could be doing better? Are they reaching their potential? The teacher's expertise goes beyond your student's grades and academics. Participation and engagement in instruction time is also an important component of student success, and if your student seems unmotivated or disengaged during classtime, there can be many causes, which the teacher might be able to identify for you.
4. Support: What can I do at home to better support my student? Does my child need a tutor? What resources can I offer my student to make homework time easier? As a parent, you're the expert on your student's personality, preferences, and anxieties. Partnering up with the expert on your student's school life can lead to more immersive academic enrichment - it happens in the classroom, but now also at home.

That's where we come in! Here at Mathnasium, the math learning center, we specialize not just in teaching math, but also homework help, test preparation, and improving student confidence in math. Our method and instruction are very acccessible to students of all ages, both for students who have gaps from past years of school that might need filling to better visualize and grasp future concepts, and for students who excel and are looking for more enrichment to further develop their skills and love for math! We've seen that more than 80% of students attitudes toward math improved, and their confidence too, 85% of parents reported their child's math skills and understanding have improved, and 88% of students improved their math grades.

We understand that report cards and parent teacher conferences can be overwhelming and stressful for both students and parents, and math as well, so we're here to help, call us at 619-946-5686 or email us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment to come and visit our center to find out more about us and how we help our students succeed in math both inside and outside of school. 

Happy Fall Break, Chula Vista!