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Two former teachers share seven questions parents can ask at parent-teacher meetings. But first, parents should try and understand how their children feel about school, so they can identify points to discuss with the teachers. This is an edited version of an article published in The Straits Times’ askST series on May 22, 2022.
If you have school-going children from primary to junior college years, chances are you will meet their teachers soon.
Parent-teacher meetings or conferences are usually held twice a year, ahead of the June and year-end school holidays.
To better support their children’s learning, how can mums and dads make the most of these sessions? What are the important questions to ask the teachers?
Former teachers Tan Aik Ling and Wong Hwei Ming, who are now at the National Institute of Education (NIE), say it is important to have regular conversations with your children, especially so with teenagers who are at the phase where they talk less to their family members. Coax them into sharing what they think about their schools, their likes, dislikes and concerns.
Dr Wong, who used to teach English and maths at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Primary), says it is not uncommon to encounter parents at such meetings who look “blank”, as if wondering, “Is that my child you’re talking about?”
When you understand your kids, it helps you to identify points that you can discuss with the teachers, adds Dr Wong, a senior education research scientist at NIE’s Office of Education Research. She is also a part-time pro bono counsellor at a primary school.
Children are usually encouraged to
English (US)