Long lines during Parent Teacher Conferences tonight...

[sam_gordon]

I doubt teachers, year after year, would be like “I suspect Johnny has a learning disability, if only his parents would show up for open house so I could let them know.”

That's my point.

 

[kiddo76]

But you CAN be involved in their education and not go to the P/T conference. Help them with homework. Make sure they have a good place to study. Make sure they attend school. Give them "life lessons". Show how what they're learning relates to the "real world". Showing up or not has no bearing on whether the parent is interested, involved, and should have nothing to do with getting good grades.

Which is why I said it's part of the reason.

 

[kiddo76]

Presumably the teachers didn't notice? If they did, why did they not inform the parents? Or do you think if your parents went to the conferences, they would have informed them then?

No one noticed because he still got As despite of his reading disability. I don't know if my parents getting to talk to his teachers would have helped him get an earlier diagnosis, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt.

 

[Summer2018]

My parent/teacher conferences are next week. Parents sign up, and I stick to the schedule. I use a timer so that I don’t run over and inconvenience the next parent. If someone shows up at the wrong time, they are out of luck.

All of my daughter’s teachers were the same way, Pre-K - 12. Middle school and high school were more challenging, but they were run efficiently with sign-ups days before and a schedule to follow.

My biggest challenge was conducting my own conferences and also making it to my daughter’s. One year I had to schedule appointments before and after school on a different day.

I’m so not looking forward to them. It’s a lot to talk to parents after teaching all day. Those days feel like they will never end.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I always enjoyed meeting the teachers and putting a face to the name. DS is an only child, so we had no prior experience with most of them. We didn’t have one-on-one conferences after the elementary grades. Then it was the Back To School Night where you went to your student’s classes and the teacher gave a short talk to all the parents as a group.

Judging by how crowded it was every year, most parents (very often both mom and dad) did attend. Honestly, it’s almost like a social event for the families in the community (smallish town where many know each other). I realize not everyone is able to make it and some have no interest, but we always tried to go if possible.

 

[apartment j]

That's not what has to happen in a parent/teacher conference. For many who know their kids are doing well, it's more about getting to know their child's teachers when there are so few other opportunities to do so.

Yes, exactly. Teachers have an impact on their students. I want to know the people who are part of my child's daily life and who help shape their thinking. If nothing else, it gives me context when my child talks about their day.

 

[msjprincess]

Yes, exactly. Teachers have an impact on their students. I want to know the people who are part of my child's daily life and who help shape their thinking. If nothing else, it gives me context when my child talks about their day.

I get to meet them at Meet the Teacher Night. I don't feel the need to go to parent teacher conferences. All of their grades are online in real time. I can email or call teachers if I have any questions or concerns and vice versa. It doesn't mean I'm not involved in their education.

 

[Searc]

I get to meet them at Meet the Teacher Night. I don't feel the need to go to parent teacher conferences. All of their grades are online in real time. I can email or call teachers if I have any questions or concerns and vice versa. It doesn't mean I'm not involved in their education.

There is no such thing as Meet the Teacher Night at some schools, including ours.

 

[Skippy918]

For us, parent teacher conferences ended in elementary school (5th grade). No conferences in middle or high school.

Same at our district. Now, if you need to speak with a teacher, you can contact them and set up conference time. With 1300 students at the middle school I see why they don’t do the conferences for everyone.
At the beginning of the year there was open house/meet the teacher night for 6th grade. It was very chaotic and I don’t even think I met half the teachers.
We are on 6 week grading periods so my middle schooler just got his 2nd report card.

 

[clori]

I agree meet the teacher night is not done at all schools and isn't done at my kids schools. We do have a back to school night fairly early on when you go to teacher's classrooms and hear about curriculum but you don't hear about your own child as an individual. Grades k-12 have two parent teacher conference days. In the k-8 one was in the afternoon so fewer parents came. Kindergarten may have had times but grades 1-8 was a mix of waiting list or first come depending on teacher. I seemed to get the last slot the majority of time.

In high school the conferences are in the cafeteria. There are signs with teacher name/subject. This year was the first time there seemed to be a consistent wait in line approach which was much less chaotic than guessing who has a sign in and who goes in order of waiting. Our teachers seem glad to see parents for students of any academic level. We can request a meeting with a teacher at any time outside of conferences. I don't think going or not going makes a difference but I do like getting to put a face to a name and my kids like me going.

In terms of location the cafeteria isn't my favorite if your in a quiet spot where you can hear everything though some areas are so noisy that you know people can't overhear. For the most part it doesn't matter to be but if my child was having say behavioral issues I wouldn't want people to know. For instance at one conference we were the next in line where it was easy to hear the teacher. A mother asked how she could help her son get better grades. The teacher was very calm and said something like for starters can you ask him not to come in and put his head down. I would have been embarrassed by that. The mother, however, said well my son is tired. I admire how the teacher stayed calm

 

[mom2rtk]

I agree meet the teacher night is not done at all schools and isn't done at my kids schools. We do have a back to school night fairly early on when you go to teacher's classrooms and hear about curriculum but you don't hear about your own child as an individual. Grades k-12 have two parent teacher conference days. In the k-8 one was in the afternoon so fewer parents came. Kindergarten may have had times but grades 1-8 was a mix of waiting list or first come depending on teacher. I seemed to get the last slot the majority of time.

In high school the conferences are in the cafeteria. There are signs with teacher name/subject. This year was the first time there seemed to be a consistent wait in line approach which was much less chaotic than guessing who has a sign in and who goes in order of waiting. Our teachers seem glad to see parents for students of any academic level. We can request a meeting with a teacher at any time outside of conferences. I don't think going or not going makes a difference but I do like getting to put a face to a name and my kids like me going.

In terms of location the cafeteria isn't my favorite if your in a quiet spot where you can hear everything though some areas are so noisy that you know people can't overhear. For the most part it doesn't matter to be but if my child was having say behavioral issues I wouldn't want people to know. For instance at one conference we were the next in line where it was easy to hear the teacher. A mother asked how she could help her son get better grades. The teacher was very calm and said something like for starters can you ask him not to come in and put his head down. I would have been embarrassed by that. The mother, however, said well my son is tired. I admire how the teacher stayed calm

Our district used the terms "meet the teacher" and "back to school night" interchangeably. It's typically held in the first few days of school so the teacher doesn't have feedback on your child yet. I view it as a chance to see the classroom and say hi to the teacher and hear a little abut classroom expectations.

 

[msjprincess]

I agree meet the teacher night is not done at all schools and isn't done at my kids schools. We do have a back to school night fairly early on when you go to teacher's classrooms and hear about curriculum but you don't hear about your own child as an individual. Grades k-12 have two parent teacher conference days. In the k-8 one was in the afternoon so fewer parents came. Kindergarten may have had times but grades 1-8 was a mix of waiting list or first come depending on teacher. I seemed to get the last slot the majority of time.

In high school the conferences are in the cafeteria. There are signs with teacher name/subject. This year was the first time there seemed to be a consistent wait in line approach which was much less chaotic than guessing who has a sign in and who goes in order of waiting. Our teachers seem glad to see parents for students of any academic level. We can request a meeting with a teacher at any time outside of conferences. I don't think going or not going makes a difference but I do like getting to put a face to a name and my kids like me going.

In terms of location the cafeteria isn't my favorite if your in a quiet spot where you can hear everything though some areas are so noisy that you know people can't overhear. For the most part it doesn't matter to be but if my child was having say behavioral issues I wouldn't want people to know. For instance at one conference we were the next in line where it was easy to hear the teacher. A mother asked how she could help her son get better grades. The teacher was very calm and said something like for starters can you ask him not to come in and put his head down. I would have been embarrassed by that. The mother, however, said well my son is tired. I admire how the teacher stayed calm

That's what we call Meet the Teacher Night

 

[clori]

That's what we call Meet the Teacher Night

I thought some people might be referring to a night before school starts that I've read about when you get to go in meet teachers, put stuff in lockers or bring supplies in etc - that is something I never had growing up nor did my husband and as of yet my kids.

 

[clori]

Actually what I did like at the high school is something my oldest daughter had for two years until principals changed. We had an ask the principal night I think quarterly that honestly was not well attended so easy enough to ask questions if desired. Parents could ask various questions perhaps about AP or dual enrollment classes, college application process, how class officers are chosen, what is a traditional math progression, how are field trips handled, are there clubs for students with special needs, what are too many absences etc. Sometimes the questions were not directly answered but you would find out who to contact. Sure some questions were easily looked up but sometimes you learned something new. For instance something I never thought about was what do students/staff who are using a wheelchair do in case of a fire alarm. Depending on the questions sometimes they lead to tours of certain areas after the meeting such as a tour of the maker space. I'm sure some of it was things students easily knew and didn't share with parents. Depending on the questions some was nice to know and some I had no reason to know. Best of all you just sat in the auditorium so unless you had to wait your turn to ask a question there were no lines and no walking around lost looking for a classroom if your child wasn't with you.

 

[bcwife76]

Wow, in this day and age a sign up sheet outside the classroom sounds pretty inefficient! I can understand your frustration for sure. My kids elementary school (they are currently in grades 4 and 6) went to an online sign up system a few years ago and it's great. Meet the Teacher night, however, can be rather chaotic. They only hold it for one hour (my kids elementary school has over 800 kids), not nearly long enough, but I usually go near the end of that hour when the lines are shorter lol

 

[paisleys]

Ours are scheduled online. I haven't gone to one in years because we haven't had the 'parent conference ' box checked on the report cards. I prefer to leave the slots fr the people who really need/want the conferences. I will just email the teacher whenever I have questions.

 

[barkley]

Actually what I did like at the high school is something my oldest daughter had for two years until principals changed. We had an ask the principal night I think quarterly that honestly was not well attended so easy enough to ask questions if desired. Parents could ask various questions perhaps about AP or dual enrollment classes, college application process, how class officers are chosen, what is a traditional math progression, how are field trips handled, are there clubs for students with special needs, what are too many absences etc. Sometimes the questions were not directly answered but you would find out who to contact. Sure some questions were easily looked up but sometimes you learned something new. For instance something I never thought about was what do students/staff who are using a wheelchair do in case of a fire alarm. Depending on the questions sometimes they lead to tours of certain areas after the meeting such as a tour of the maker space. I'm sure some of it was things students easily knew and didn't share with parents. Depending on the questions some was nice to know and some I had no reason to know. Best of all you just sat in the auditorium so unless you had to wait your turn to ask a question there were no lines and no walking around lost looking for a classroom if your child wasn't with you.

what i liked at my kid's high school back to school night was a portion at the beginning where the principal would speak to everyone and go over some things parents needed to be aware of esp. if things had/were changing in respects to required classes. our state will add/change graduation requirements and roll them out over a multi year plan so the principal would remind people that even if they had older current students their younger students would be looking at having to take/not being able to take x, y or z starting the current or an upcoming year (over the next 4 years). there would be a reminder of when specific nights over the year were going to be held (senior parent nights-to go over specific current senior activities/deadlines, juniors-to go over scholarship and fafsa deadlines...), there would also be a discussion of how the school wanted teacher/admin staff requests for letters of recommendation submitted/deadlines...there would be a short opportunity for q&a's but for things like disability access they would introduce the head of special services and say she was available after the meeting adorned, college applications/ap & dual enrollment-the head of counseling who would be available afterwards...the stuff like field trips and class officers was meticulously covered in the parent/student handbook that went home with the students the first day and both students/parents had to return signed the attached form the next day with the parents indicating they had received THEIR copy and had read it (with a space for any questions that either personally got answered by email or an email blast of f.a.q.'s went to everyone).