Parenting My Teen

By: Sharon McMillan

This is the time of year when many of us are gearing up for that anticipated (or dreaded) Parent-Teacher Interview.  To help you through this period I’ve put together a few pointers based on my experience.

My son is use to getting A’s, however, this year, his Junior year, he’s had to work harder than he’s ever had to before.  Perhaps that’s why he “forgot” to show me the scheduling form I had to fill in to book our appointments.

Of course I’m always a step ahead of him. I’m in constant contact with the school so I already knew the timing for Parent Teacher Interviews this fall.

Point #1: Stay in constant contact with your child’s high school. You and the school secretary should be best buds. It’s amazing how fast your calls and queries can get through to the teacher or principal, when you establish a good relationship with school administrative staff.

I have many memories of talking to teachers about my kids’ tests and presentations, college applications, etc….all while parents outside the classroom wait patiently and impatiently as I blabber to the teacher.

Now from my perspective, I’m taking the same amount of time that I saw the parent before me take (which exceeded the 10-minute limit).  I figure the more I talk to the teacher, the more likely she’ll make that B an A next term.  Okay, I’m possibly joking, but the point is Parent Teacher Night is a competitive evening.  You’re vying for the teacher’s attention, hoping to make some lasting impact during your 10-minute session.

There is, however, a better way for you, the teacher and your beleaguered fellow parents to manage scheduling more efficiently…

Point #2:  Book a day appointment if your school offers the option.  Our schools offer afternoon appointments beginning at 3:00 p.m. and then a second series of appointments beginning at 6:30 p.m.   I use to always book appointments after my work day.  So I’d be there at 7:00 p.m., waiting to speak to teachers who were already running 30 minutes behind schedule.

The end result:  a sometimes unfocused discussion because the teacher is frazzled and I’m not always the most delightful person following a 10-hour work day.

Last year I made the decision to change this approach.  Instead, I clear my work schedule and make sure that I land an early afternoon appointment. That way I’m fresher, the teacher is in better form than she’ll be in 3 hours from now, and there are less parents behind me giving me the evil eye as I pull out my child’s baby album for the teacher.

Point #3: Parent Teacher Interviews are Important in High School
You’ll find that the really engaged (read: competitive) parents will attend every Parent-Teacher Interview session their High School offers….at a later stage they’ll also call little Tommy’s  college professor to complain about his mark.  Okay…meeting with your child’s high school teacher is a good thing, harassing your “young adult’s” college professor…not so good.

High school is your last opportunity to really enhance and support your child’s learning outcomes and study habits.  Attending regular Parent-Teacher Interviews gives you an opportunity to hear first hand from the teacher your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

With your child in attendance at Parent Teacher Interviews you can actually have a very productive and illuminating discussion about what’s working or not working in your child’s learning environment.

Here’s my bit of advice: before your next Parent Teacher Interview, take a good look at your child’s report card, discuss with him/her areas that are strong, areas where they’d like to improve and questions or concerns that they may have about the curriculum in general.

Get those points written down, slip it into an envelope and use it as a bookmark while you show the teacher that adorable toothless picture that’s the centerpiece of your child’s baby album!

Sharon McMillan is the happy mom of two teens – one in high school and one in college. She is also the publisher of www.MomsPrimeYears.com –a place on the web for moms to explore the journey “after the kids have grown.”