Dear Parents,
The Parent – Teacher conferences are fast approaching and I wanted to make some points about how important these events are. For those of you who have not attended such an event before, I would like to try and explain their importance and how you can prepare for them.
A Parent – Teacher conference is a short meeting or conference between the parents and the teachers which is also an opportunity for parents to meet the teachers who teach their child every day. Working with them you can refine your child’s study habits and learning plan. These meetings also help make clear to students that you and the teacher are working together to help the student and allow them to achieve.
We know from research that when a partnership approach between parents and teachers is clear to the children, their work habits, behaviour, attitudes about school and grades all improve. They adopt better social skills, show fewer behavioural problems and have a greaterability to adapt to situations at school because they feel supported.
A Parent – Teacher conference helps to communicate to parents the areas where their child is excelling and to give them specific ideas of how they can work with the teachers to improve their child’s performance in school. Good study habits must be learned and if they are, then the will stay with the student when they move on to higher education.
A Parent – Teacher conferences should be used to build a trusting relationship between both parties to increase the likelihood of academic success for the child. This is a bond of trust built on knowing that everybody involved in the development of the child has their best interests at heart.
A Parent – Teacher conference should be an opportunity for children to express themselves and also confidently show their character, fostering independence and ability to listen and understand.
Students are the central object of education, where all elements of educational activities must focus on transforming people towards ever-perfecting and helping them to live a meaningful life. A child grows up in a social community in which everyone cares, loves, and gives the children the opportunity to “speak their voice”, develop themselves and become a humanistic
education for people.
These meetings are not the place to highlight problems or weaknesses. They are a place where we can bring solutions and discuss ideas and strategies to make sure that no child is left behind and that each child is given the opportunity to reach their maximum potential.
I very much hope that you will be able to attend the conference. You may only allow have a short time with each teacher, but these small steps will develop into a longer journey and along the way, parents and teachers will develop trust and understanding.
Yours sincerely,
Brendan O’Flaherty
Senior Principle – Greenfield School
