Parents, students, and teachers gathered in the evening of February 11 and 12 at Skyline High School for parent-teacher conferences. These meetings allowed teachers to discuss student progress, strengthen communication, and to help find ways to support their students at school and in their homes.
The conferences were offered both in-person and online over video call, making it easier for families to participate. According to Debra Wilson, an English teacher at Skyline High School, technology plays a role by helping parents stay informed on their student’s progress throughout the whole school year.
“The Granite Portal allows parents to see their child’s grades and assignments online,” Wilson said. “The school district has it so that parents can access that and watch and see where their child is at. So if they know that before they come in [to parent-teacher conferences], then there are not any surprises, and they can say, ‘All right, I see my child’s not doing their work.’”
Some parents shared similar thoughts. Cambria Flowers, a parent of two Skyline students, said that her main goal when attending conferences is to make sure expectations are clear. She said, “If there is a need to realign expectations and performance, that’s when I’ll go to the conferences.”
Flowers also mentioned that digital conferences have made the process less stressful. When her children were in younger grades, conferences were only in person, which she found overwhelming. Now, she is grateful that Skyline conferences are more convenient with online meetings.
While Flowers believes conferences are helpful, she also shared concerns about timing. “I don’t feel that teachers are given enough time to get to know the students,” she explained. “You want it early enough to improve things, but it can’t be too soon to really know how a student is doing.”
She believes that mid-year conferences are more useful, because teachers are more familiar with students’ strengths and weaknesses. With more work completed and graded, discussions between them can be more meaningful and effective.
Another benefit of conferences, according to Flowers, is being able to connect with the teachers. She said, “It helps me put a face with the name. It helps me understand the demeanor of the teacher and how engaged they are.”
Both Wilson and Flowers believe that communication is key to making their students succeed. Parent-teacher conferences allow teachers to explain expectations and give parents ideas to support learning at home. When parents understand where their child may need some assistance, they can help encourage better habits.
As February conferences showed, when parents come prepared and teachers communicate openly, these meetings can allow connections to be strengthened between home and school.
Flowers concluded, “When a teacher communicates the gaps between what they expect and what my child is doing, it becomes pretty clear to me how I can help realign those expectations at home. That kind of communication makes all the difference.”
