3 Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Parent-Teacher Consultation

At One World International School, we encourage parents and teachers to connect with each other regularly through open dialogue and informal communications. However, both parents and teachers can benefit from a structured consultation appointment. While the instructors at OWIS are always available via email, it’s important that parents have an opportunity to talk face-to-face with their child’s teacher and learn more about their progress in the classroom. This also gives them the opportunity to build a positive relationship with one another, set goals and make plans for any adaptations to a student’s teaching requirements. During these meetings, parents can also see examples of their child’s work and gain an understanding of the progressions they will be making through the year. Here are a few reasons why you should be looking forward to your parent-teacher consultation:

Tip #1: This is a Time for Shared Praise of Your Child

The parent-teacher consultation at OWIS is a time for both the parent and the teacher to recognise the child’s accomplishments both inside the classroom and outside its walls. The teachers at OWIS believe that success is measured not only on an academic level but also on a personal level. In order for children to develop a diverse skill set, they need to have the opportunity to develop academically, practically and socially during their time at school.

During this appointment, the teacher will prepare a list of the many accomplishments that the child has made — including their academic successes, the progress they have made, as well as their emotional development and attitude to learning. This makes the experience very positive.

The appointment always begins with the recognition of your child’s successes and gives teachers an opportunity to acknowledge the student’s hard work. This may be by discussing experiences or examples of developmental progress or by looking at pieces of work. Parents have a chance to understand their child’s individual strengths and areas where they could improve. They will also be given techniques to help support their child and ideas to promote a positive mindset about their education.  These meetings help parents understand how their child is managing with all aspects of their education.

Tip #2: It is an Opportunity to Learn About Classroom Life at OWIS

While the OWIS philosophy is applied in every classroom and across every grade level, each year of schooling will be distinct and unique in its own way for every student. Even if a parent is an experienced OWIS community member, it’s still important that they connect with their child’s current classroom teacher at the parent-teacher consultation. It may be that they already know this teacher; however, the teaching and learning goals will be different each year.

At this appointment, the teacher will provide detailed information about life inside the classroom. This will help give parents an insight into the day-to-day classroom environment. It will allow them to gain a better understanding of the experiences that their child is being given whilst at school. During these meetings, they often cover a variety of topics, including:

● What daily life is like inside the classroom.

● The classroom routine for students.

● How the individual student is adjusting to classroom life.

● The development of the child’s social and emotional skills

● How the child communicates with others and how they integrate with the class as a whole

● The academic progress that the child is making in that specific classroom.

● What the plan is with regards to learning outcomes, opportunities and skill acquisition for the rest of the term or year

Parents often find that they enjoy learning more about what their child is experiencing each day, as it helps them better connect with their child and bridge the gap between school and home life. It opens up communication opportunities for the parents with their children as they are able to understand more about their child’s daily life.

Tip #3: You Can Learn About How You Can Enhance Your Child’s Education at Home

At OWIS, we find that parents are curious about ways that they can help their child at home and continue the educational process outside of school. The parent-teacher consultation is the perfect place to learn about innovative resources that can be used at home to help your child succeed on an academic and personal level. The low student-to-teacher ratio at OWIS allows teachers to provide individualised care and instruction to each student, which in turn gives them an opportunity to make personalised suggestions to parents who are seeking supplemental resources to use at home. It also gives them a better idea of the type of learning techniques that are used and the skills that are taught. This means that they can integrate these into home projects, discussions or experiences.

Parent-teacher consultations are beneficial to parents, teachers and students because these meetings provide everyone with an opportunity to be on the same page with respect to the child’s learning and the progress they have made since the last consultation. It ensures that children are progressing as expected, and if there are any worries or concerns, these can be dealt with. It also helps to give children focus as they will know that these meetings will occur throughout the year.

These consultations allow for parents to communicate effectively with teachers and build up lasting relationships with them. If parents feel confident that the teachers have the child’s best interests at heart, and see this in the flesh, then they will feel happier sending their child to school each day.  At OWIS, we strive to create an environment where parents and students can feel comfortable working together with the teacher to help drive student success.

To learn More About the Parent-Teacher Relationship at OWIS, contact us today.

(This blog was originally written in collaboration with Ms Luna Deller, former Deputy Head of School, OWIS Nanyang.)

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