15 Questions to Ask Your Child’s Teacher
At the beginning of school year teachers will give you so much information you may not have any questions at the time. However, once school has started and your child’s teacher has gotten to know your child and you should be prepared to ask questions at your first Parent – Teacher Conference. This is your opportunity to find out what your child needs to have a successful year!
You can ask your child what they need every day but, until you speak with the teacher most parents are ‘in the dark’ when it comes to our child’s real needs to get a good education. If you child is like mine. You ask “How was your day?” Answer: “Fine.” You, “What did you learn today?” Answer: “I don’t know. We went outside and played on the playground!”
So, when you go into your first parent-teacher conference of the school year be prepared with questions to help your child throughout the school year.
Child Information
Start the conversation by talking about your child’s emotional health.
1. How Is My Child Doing Emotionally?
2. How Is My Child Doing Socially?
3. How do you support kids in their social development?
Move into Academic Performance Questions
4. How do you respond when my child struggles in class? What steps do you take to assure he/she learns the material?
5. How is learning personalized in your classroom?
6. What do you think are the academic challenges for my child?
7. Do you feel my child needs any extra help in school with anything? What resources are available to receive that help?
8. Are there options provided by the school for enrichment experiences?
9. Is my child organized?
10. Does my child daydream?
11. Is my child producing quality work?
12. What Do You Think My Child Is Particularly Good at?
End with Questions About How You Can Help Your Child
13. Are there any school or district resources that we should consider using as a family to support our child in the classroom?
14. Can we talk more about your homework policy and how my child is doing with homework?
15. What can I do at home to support what you’re doing in the classroom?
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Sarah L says
Some very good questions to ask teachers.
marthalynn says
This is so helpful! I feel so ill-prepared for these things since I’ve never done it before. And then when I leave thee meeting I think of all the things I should’ve asked. Printing this out and taking it with me next time!
Eva-Maria Virnas says
I think that the emotional side is really important. It’s one thing how your child is at home and with neighbourhood children etc. But it can be totally different at school. Really awful and hard to bear.
I was bullied and my mom did what she could, but she couldn’t be there and teachers..well, lets just say that nobody was able to help matters.
So I just suffered through the school since 6th grade till the end.
I really would do absolutely everything if my child was bullied. But better yet, I’d try to prevent things. Finding right school and good teachers who are able to prevent bullying is the most important. You can’t change the way other children are with your kids but you certainly can and must do everything in your power to prevent hard times at school for your children.
These questions are good but I certainly would want to know what would teacher do if anybody is bullied etc. How does school try to prevent this? And that kids who don’t listen in the classes won’t disturb others who want to learn.
Environment is really important.
Sue M. says
This is really helpful information, since of course parents can’t be with their kids 24/7, and with these questions, the teachers can let them know more about what’s happening and can give the parents any advice that might be needed. Thanks for posting!
Patricia Delgado says
I for one am very nervous at the start of each school year, wondering if my child has a nice teacher and if they will be cared for .
M.Clark says
This is a great list of questions for people to ask their child’s teacher. I don’t think parents are ever this prepared to parent teacher conferences.
@oodsme says
Great questions. Always feel stumped at the Parent-teacher meetings! Will keep these handy this time! Thank you!
Michelle R says
These are really good questions. I am going to bookmark this for when those parent teacher meetings come up. They are probing without being confrontational.
Karen Jaras says
So glad my youngest grandson has entered Kindergarten this year.
Caroline says
Great question! Very useful.
Irma says
These are good. I’ll remember them.
Natalie says
I always forget to ask questions to my daughter’s teacher. These are great questions!
Sally Wilsey says
Thank you for the list of questions. I always communicate with my Granddaughters teachers, but you have brought up some of the questions I should ask but forgot.