The days have gotten shorter and the weather chiller. ‘Tis the season . . . for your child’s parent/teacher conferences.
Every parent – and every teacher – can feel a little anxious leading up to parent/teacher conferences. Yet this annual passage is an important touchpoint in the school year. At Montrose, we know that parents are the first and most important educators of their daughters. That means that our November conferences between parents and a student’s teachers and mentor are essential to forwarding our aims to partner with parents to support their child’s academic and personal growth.
How can parents best prepare to engage in these short but important conversations?
1. Read carefully your child’s narrative comments.At Montrose, our interim report cards feature narrative comments in which every teacher describes how a student is growing in good habits of mind, heart and character in that class. These comments appear alongside the student’s grade average to provide a wider view of the snapshot of the interim. They aim to help students and parents to understand areas of strength and of growth and can provide useful insight into a student’s habits and skills acquisition. Be sure to read these comments with your daughter, helping her to notice key information and themes so that she can get into the driver’s seat of her own learning as the semester continues.
2. Be curious and prepared.
Parent/teacher conferences in middle and upper school are short meetings – usually around ten minutes – so it’s important to arrive with questions or topics you’d like to discuss or learn more about, especially if you have particular concerns about your child’s progress in a course. Teachers are eager to share observations and suggestions but also to learn from you, because you know your child best and have unique insights to share. At Montrose, we allow additional time for parent conferences with their daughter’s mentor. Since mentoring is the cornerstone of a student’s Montrose experience, we allow more time for parents and mentors to collaborate on how to help every student become the best version of herself.
3. Consider next steps
Together with the feedback from comments and conferences, talk with your child about next steps for her growth across areas of school life. This might be by encouraging her to reach out to a teacher to schedule extra help, learning more with her about clubs and activities that could engage her in the wider life of the school, or adjusting your home schedule/work environment to facilitate deeper engagement in her studies. Your support in her next steps is important. Teachers and mentors can partner with you and with your child as well so that she can continue the year confident and prepared.
Parent/teacher conferences are a great opportunity to connect with your child’s “success management team.” Enjoy this time with faculty members collaborating on how best to support your child’s growth.
