I have posed a question related to this topic on Twitter last week, but it is still on my mind and requires further investigation. Is it appropriate for teachers to allow parents to opt out of parent teacher conferences if their child is doing well in school and has successfully completed all the required work? At least one teacher that I know believes so.
Although it saves precious time for the educator and the parent, this view of parent-teacher conferences is problematic in the sense that its sole purpose is to inform parents of the work that their child has and has not done. If that is all conferences are for, then of course it does not make sense for parents to come in to meet with the teacher if their chidl has completed all the work and is doing fine in class. But I think our obligations and goals as educators require more of us than that.
As discussed in our Issues in Education class, teachers, parents, and students all have a role to play in education. The parent-teacher relationships that one builds during the school year significantly impact the progress of the student. It is the parents' role to support their child in his or her education and to communicate with the teacher what the student's individual needs are and ask how their student can be supported at home. It is the teacher's role to communicate to parents how the child's education can be supported at home and to ask parents what the student's personal needs are and how the teacher can meet these needs in the classroom. Conferences provide a wonderful opportunity for this type of dialogue and allow parents and teachers to work together to benefit the student.
Even if a student is successful in the classroom, it is important for parents to hear this from the teacher. Conferences can be an opportunity for teachers to ask parents why they think their child does so well in school and to ask what things are happening at home to foster education. This information, in turn, can be used to help families and students who struggle to support education in thier household. Conferences can also be a valuable time to discuss with parents how we can help the successful students excel even more in the classroom. These students deserve just as much attention and time as those who struggle and deserve to have their parents involved in their education.
Relationships with parents are simply too important to neglect or consider optional for some students. It is arguably even more necessary at the middle school level in which adolescents are struggling to find acceptance from their peers and parents simultaneoulsy.
This blog is merely stating my opinion and I have only stated one side of the argument; I am open to hear different viewpoints on this issue. If anyone has any positive arguments in favor of letting parents opt out of conferences if their child is doing well, I would love to hear them.
Thank you for reading my post!
Courtney B.
Courtney, I agree that parents of exemplary students should still attend parent-teacher conferences because it creates another connection between home and school. As educators, we want to foster relationships with parents and continue them even if their child is excelling. I attended parent-teacher conferences with my cooperating teacher, and she was able to answer questions that parents of "good" students asked. It was a good opportunity for the student, parent, and teacher. While I agree that parents of "good" students should still attend conferences, we've got to work on getting the struggling students' parents to attend, too...
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