Bring Notes and an Open Mind to Parent-Teacher Conferences
Come prepared to your next parent-teacher conference and you'll get more out of it. To make the most of meetings with your middle schooler's teachers:
Be there. You won't get anything out of parent-teacher conferences if you don't show up! So do whatever it takes to be there. If it's truly impossible to attend, speak to your child's teachers about meeting at a different time (or even over the phone).
Jot down notes ahead of time. Do you have specific questions you'd like your child's teachers to answer? Don't assume you'll remember then when you get to the meeting. Instead, write them down beforehand. But keep your list short. There probably won't be time to address dozens of issues.
Come with an open mind. Has your child told you horror stories about a certain teacher? Don't let it affect how you approach your meeting. Instead, start every conference with a clean slate. It may lead to better communication all around.
Listen. Give your child's teachers a chance to talk about their classes without interrupting. It might give you a fresh insight on what's happening at school. Of course, if you hear something you don't understand, speak up and ask for clarification.