Questions to Ask Back-to-School Parent Sharing Conferences

This week's article summary,  7 Questions to Ask Parents at the Beginning of the Year , is from a teacher's blog.

With Parent Sharing Conference next week, the questions below--written from the dual perspective of teacher and parent--can lead to deeper, more meaningful conversations with parents and can give you a better understanding of your students--as well of their parents and their hopes and dreams for their children.

To me, the answer to question 3 is potentially very insightful.

Joe

---------------

When I first began teaching, I knew that it was important to connect with parents and to build a positive relationship with them, but at times I wasn't sure how to do this.

I wish I'd asked more questions about their child and then listened more to what they had to say.

After twenty years of experience and after sending my own child off to school, here are some questions I'd ask parents with the intention of building a partnership to support their child's learning.

1. What do you see as your child's greatest strengths or skills? Tell me about a time when you saw your child demonstrating these skills.

2. At the end of this school year, what do you hope your child says about his/her experience in school this year? What's the story you hope he/she would tell?

3. What was your experience like in this grade? How do you remember that year of school?

4. What are your fears or concerns about your child in this year of school?

5. How and when would you like me to be in touch with you this year? What do you hope I'd communicate with you about?

6. Is there anything else you can tell me about your child that you think would help me support his/her learning?

7. Is there a question you hope I'll ask you about your child?

I write this blog less from the stance of a teacher and more from my perspective as a mother.
Although I have a great deal of experience in education, I still believe that my son's teacher will know him in ways that I may not, that his teacher will have expertise that I may not, and that I will need her and rely on her to help my son get the most out of his fifth-grade experience. I hope that she'll see me as a partner.