Parent-Teacher Conferences

Twenty minutes. That's how long you'll likely get tomorrow or Thursday when you head into your child's classroom to chat with his/her teacher.

And as we all know, 20 minutes can go fast. So, here are a few tips to make the most of your session:

• Arrive a few minutes early so you are ready to head right in at your assigned time.
• Plan ahead for what you're doing with your kids. For one conference, I'm doing a parent/kid swap with a neighborhood family. I watch her kids during my conference and vice versa. For another, they'll be sitting outside the room reading books. The National Education Association recommends having your kids attend the conference with you. So long as your teacher is amenable, go for it.
• Be positive and collaborative.
• Write a list of questions for yourself ahead of time and prioritize them in case you run out of time. They can be about anything you're wondering about: Writing skills, spelling, homework, math, social skills, classroom behavior, science and social studies. The more specific you can be with the teacher, the more likely she can give you specific examples as responses.
• If you don't already have it, find out the best way to contact your teacher if you have further questions. Does she answer e-mail promptly? Is a note in the backpack better?
• If your child switches classrooms for one or more subjects, ask to meet with all of your child's teachers.
• Get a plan of action. By the end of a conference, you should know what your child is working on and the steps being taken at school and what you may want to do at home to achieve the goals laid out.
• Take notes and review them later. If anything is unclear afterwards, follow back up with the teacher.

For a list of questions to think about, check out the National School Psychologists guide to parent-teacher conferences or Discovery Education's conference tips.