| Parent-Teacher Conferences, A Time to | | | | Likewise, if you are a teacher and practice these |
| Celebrate Strengths | | | | exercises and philosophies with your students, |
| It is parent-teacher conference time and you | | | | waste no time in sharing them with your students' |
| arranged your schedule three months in advance | | | | parents. Here are some exercises to help |
| to attend. If you are like most parents, you feel a | | | | advance the strength alliance. |
| certain amount of anxiety around this event. You | | | | - Draft a one-page letter to your child's teacher if |
| attend hoping there won't be any surprises and | | | | you are a parent, to a child's parent if you are a |
| that you won't discover that your child is | | | | teacher, or to both your teacher and your parent |
| experiencing any difficulties. Unfortunately, most | | | | if you are a student. In the letter, describe the |
| parent-teacher conferences focus on grades | | | | Learning Strengths of the child in question in as |
| rather than children, with the primary goal of | | | | much detail as you can. Include how he -- or you, |
| addressing a child's area of weakness. Few | | | | if you're the student -- likes to learn, what things |
| parents go to conferences with the main goal of | | | | he enjoys doing most, what type of environment |
| discovering where and how their children excel. I | | | | works best for him, and what he finds difficult. |
| know, I was a teacher for ten years and the | | | | Share this letter with the person for whom you |
| parents of the students who were getting A's in | | | | wrote it. If you are a parent, bring the letter to |
| my class rarely attended conferences, or if they | | | | parent-teacher conferences. |
| came, they usually breezed by my table, winked | | | | - Read the following case study and answer the |
| and whispered, "Keep up the good work." | | | | accompanying questions. |
| Parent-teacher conferences become an occasion | | | | Yolanda's Day in School: Yolanda is a focused |
| to look forward to when they are viewed as | | | | student. She takes everything she does in class |
| prime opportunities to talk with teachers about | | | | very seriously and listens very well to the |
| your child's strengths. What exactly are | | | | teacher. She does not like to participate in group |
| strengths? Strength are the activities that | | | | activities, and she does not raise her hand much |
| energize and excite your child when he is doing | | | | or contribute to class discussions unless the |
| them. This is as opposed to his weaknesses, the | | | | teacher calls on her. Although she completes all |
| activities that leave him feeling depleted. There | | | | her assignments, sometimes her work is not |
| are three kinds of strengths: Activity Strengths | | | | correct. At recess, Yolanda likes to sit in the |
| (the things you do that energize you), Relationship | | | | shade and read. She has a few friends that sit |
| Strength (the things you do with and for others | | | | with her, but she does not like to join in the large |
| that make you feel energized and proud) and | | | | group activities on the playground. |
| Learning Strengths (the ways that learning makes | | | | Given what you know about Learning Strengths, |
| the most sense to you). All of these strengths | | | | create a learning profile of Yolanda. Ask a teacher |
| are discoverable land your child can develop them | | | | or another parent to do the same, and then |
| to find success. | | | | compare your decisions and insights. |
| The conversation about changing our minds, our | | | | The above is adapted from the book Your Child's |
| schools, and our nation to a paradigm that | | | | Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers |
| focuses on strengths begins with parents and | | | | by Jenifer Fox. The above excerpt is a digitally |
| teachers. Parents, teachers, and students can | | | | scanned reproduction of text from print. Although |
| begin to form a strength alliance between the | | | | this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors |
| home and the school. If you are a parent and use | | | | may appear due to the scanning process. Please |
| this book at home, share it with your school. | | | | refer to the finished book for accuracy. |