Some teachers love parent teacher interviews. Some hate them.

A teacher may love being in front of students yet be terrified of adults. Deliberate training in parent teacher interviews really should be part of every teacher’s preparation.

As a parent I just really want to know that this teacher knows my child and is interested in them. The bigger the school the harder this can be.

A parent teacher interview can reinforce your child’s story, contradict it or clarify some misunderstandings. Parents generally decide where their kids go to school. Giving teachers time to prepare well for parent teacher interviews may be more effective than a larger advert in the local newspaper. The impressions parents receive in an interview can either reinforce they made a good decision choosing this school or undermine it.

So let me tell you a story…
One parent teacher interview we went to the teacher was SO nervous. She was a new teacher. Young. Fresh. Enthusiastic. Great with kids. Yet we felt she was out of her comfort zone with parents.

She won us over very quickly.

How?

She prayed. As a teacher in a Christian school this was more accepted but it wasn’t the norm. Hearing her pray for our child, what she prayed, her passion and concern was all we needed. We knew she loved our child. What our child did, or didn’t, learn in that class was far less important to us than this.

It wasn’t a smokescreen of religiousity. Her passion came through. She wanted the best for our child, knew their strengths and weaknesses. Years later my child has a photo of this teacher with her. It is displayed in her room.

My child doesn’t remember what she learnt than year. Neither do we. Yet we all remember the atmosphere she created.