Interviews are a great way to test people’s knowledge and understanding. However, school parent-teacher interviews are slightly different. They are supposed to show the thinking capacity of a child, and how well they would cope in school with the guidance of their parents at home. This is not the only objective of the interview since it involves a conversation and questions on both sides, from parents too. It might not be an official process of a school, not giving it the name of an interview, but is a crucial evaluation step that occurs at least once a year to enable the students to perform better.
Benefits of parent-teacher interviews
Parent-teacher interviews can be beneficial for the student not only in direct ways of keeping track of their aptitude and adaptability but also indirectly through ensuring a safer and more customizable learning environment.
Building a rapport with the teacher
It is said that a school is a child’s second home. This means that during school hours teachers virtually act as the guardians or role models for your child. It is good for parents to get to know teachers not only through their professional abilities but also as individuals. In case of any emergency or a dire state of need, parents will be able to trust teachers to have their children’s best interests in mind.
Understanding the home environment
While teachers may be responsible for the 8 hours spent at school, the rest of the time students are children who are greatly influenced by their parents. Dysfunctional homes or parents who have issues of their own often end up imprinting the same on their children in one way or the other. For a teacher to speak to the parent face to face can help bring clarity around the situation and allows the teacher to devise plans to better tackle the individual needs of the child.
Get to know more about the school
While there is definitely a stigma about changing your child’s school due to it having an effect on their education as well as interpersonal relationships at times these factors in themselves can be the reason behind needing a change in the school environment. If matters in the attendance management software or fee management system do not agree with you it can also affect your child’s experience at school. Remember parent-teacher meetings are a great way of bringing up grievances about the school environment and figuring out how to improve upon them.
Tips for having a successful parent-teacher interview
Be polite and optimistic
It is important to understand that however heated the situation may become teachers are also individuals who have their personal lives beyond the school premises. They are not to be held totally responsible for a child’s growth and development which should be the parent’s primary concern. The same advice applies to teachers- being optimistic and providing support to parents can help ease their problems.
Do not be afraid to ask questions
If teachers do not communicate properly and are unwilling to put in their best effort then parents may not be able to offer helpful information to them. Asking questions however direct, can be useful in the long run and only helps to bring clarity to the situation. Similarly, parents should speak up if there are some changes in the fee management system that are not understandable.
Practice active listening
Once a matter has been brought up and a solution is available the next step to ensure the best possible outcome for the student is to enforce these changes. Being an active listener and taking charge of making a change will help the student improve in the future. For example, if the student shows many absences as per the attendance management software, solutions raised for better attendance must be employed both at home and at school.
Conclusion
There are multiple benefits for all the institution’s stakeholders- Teachers, Parents, and Students. Parents can also request separate meetings when the child performs poorly, or for other purposes. It makes a child better not only in school but also in real life. Students remain aware of their performance since it is being communicated often.
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