Parent Teacher Confrence Preparation

Well, having mostly all boys...that like to talk...I usually open with something funny like "Is his mouth driving you crazy yet"? This usually breaks the ice and lets the teacher know she can speak freely to me about their behavior.

I usually ask about mostly about behavior, general attitude (is he listening) and how he is doing socially...I like you, follow their work closely and know how they are doing academically, so I like to get the skinny on how they are behaving in school...and if they are being good kids.

I always ask if there is anything specific we need to work on, whether that be academically or otherwise...this is always a good question!

All good things suggested. I also used to ask what to expect for the next learning period. Was there anything the teacher thought our child may need to be prepared for.. Or I should be prepared for like a giant report or huge project..

you can ask for suggestions of things to do at home to complement/supplement what is being taught at school. you can ask if your child plays with different kids or always the same kids. does he initiate interactions with others? is he receptive to others initiating with him? does she have any concerns about him socially? is he focused in class? is he kind to others? does she feel like he is trying hard? is he struggling? is the work too easy/hard for him? basically, does he seem happy in school? its a good opportunity for you to tell her some things about your son just so she knows him a bit better and from a different point of view, so he stands out a bit, some of his likes and dislikes that he might not be sharing in class. though honestly, his teacher is squeezing all the parents into a few hours, its stressful for her. if you really have concerns and want to talk in depth about him, a meeting at another time is a great idea, even a casual few minutes here and there after school or something.

If you want to talk about ALL those topics, it is best to schedule another time, to talk with her, in more depth and to cover everything that is on your mind.

For parent/teacher conferences, they have a limited time, to talk with the parent. At my daughter's school, it is 15 minutes.
They stick to talking about academics and how your child is doing... per in class and with any academic assessments etc.
Then you also ask questions... whatever is important to you.
If you need more time, then you need to schedule a time with the Teacher, in order to cover more depth about it...

A Teacher, usually has a format they use, to go over the MANY subjects about their child. To organize it and keep it timely....

As far as other kids... yes, there is privacy about that. But you can and the Teacher CAN address your child's concerns... or what is happening. If that involves other kids, the Teacher can talk to that other child too. BUT, its not like they can tell you a whole bunch of personal/private stuff about that child or their Parent. Regardless, if anything bothers you or your child... and how another kid may be 'bugging' him... then bring it up. Especially with "Bullying" such a serious topic nowadays, in the schools. For example.

How old is your child????

For me, I always ask how my child is doing... and if on par for the grade level or if any problems or things she can work on. I also ask how I can supplement, my child's learning.... if need be.
But, I generally DO know how my child is doing in school... because I look over her homework all the time and the things/notes that the Teacher sends home weekly. And if anything, I e-mail her Teacher, to ask questions... when I need to.
I also attend the school's Open House night... and the Teacher then goes over her curriculum, the class environment, the expectations, the philosophy of her teaching approach...
I also ask my own child... HOW class is, what they do... how she feels in class... how the other kids are and if any problems... that gives me, a great 'window' of knowing, what is going on in class, with my Daughter.

all the best,
Susan

I suggest talking about your child's learning style (is he a visual learner, an auditory learner, an active learner, etc.) so that you can see if you and his teacher are on the same page. This leads to a discussion about what environment works best for him and what gets in the way. This can open the door to understanding if his classmates help or hinder his learning progress.

I also think that it's best not to ask about specific students. However, you can ask general questions about how your son is doing socially. The teacher should certainly be able to tell you if he is bossy or quiet, confident or timid, prefers big groups or intimate interactions (although you may have observed him in other situations, his classroom behavior could be quite different). At this age, you can start to assess whether there are areas where he needs to improve or if he is able to function well enough in various environments.

Finally, you may want to talk to the teacher about communication methods going forward - can you e-mail with him/her, can you create a little notebook to send back and forth with questions or comments about things that are going on in your son's world, does (s)he suggest another way to keep the channels open?

The conference should include how he is doing socially. If the teacher does not include the social aspect, it is perfectly o.k to ask how he is doing socially. The social aspect of his day is just as important as the academic part and a good teacher will give you little examples or little snippets into your sons day. Just remember most conferences are only 15 minutes long and that the teacher probably has more parents waiting in the hall to talk with.
Have a nice conference!