do you sign up for conferences if kid is doing well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Firstly, I love hearing that other people can see how awesome my kid is, just like I do. Secondly, it's important for teachers to know parents care about their kids by showing up. It's once or twice a year - not a big time commitment.

We don’t think I that. Although I would love to have the time to sit and chat with all of the parents, we teach over 130 students each. Even if half want conferences you can imagine how much time this takes. I’m a math teacher and parents often want to see me or ask simple questions that could be answered in email. Most often, they want to be assured that their 14 yo will be in the most advanced math class senior year. I can’t answer that.

Teachers often talk about how we don’t understand why so many parents with kids with As feel the need to schedule these. Usually well over half want to see the math teachers at my high SES school.

I grew up in NY where my hs teachers had 130 students and managed to do parent teacher conferences with all parents that want them. I raised a daughter in San Francisco public schools where her hs teachers also had at least 130 students and managed to do parent teacher conferences with all parents that wanted them. I met with every single teacher every single year. Regardless of whether or not she had A's. I asked who she sat next to, who she talked with most, if she was a leader or follower, etc. I learned all kinds of interesting things from these conferences - that she'd become friends with her English teacher to the point they were exchanging books and her friend group invited him to lunch sometimes, that she slept through one class consistently only to wake 5 minutes before the bell, that she was flirting with a boy one teacher didn't think was a good kid, etc.

Where was this? I also grew up in NY and there were not any parent conferences once you got past elementary school. I thought only this area had them for older students to satisfy the high maintenance parents. I can’t imagine booking a parent conference for my middle or high school kid to talk about it their progress without them. Are all of you bringing your kids to these? They need to take some responsibility by that age and be a participant.

And yes. I have one with an IEP. We started requesting that he be present at his annual meetings in 5th grade. The staff was surprised but agreed. That’s old enough to have input and be involved.

Nassau County. No, kids did not attend.