Prior to the start of the school year, many schools hold "Open House," where parents get to meet all of the teachers that will instruct their child. During this meeting, teachers get an opportunity to explain their teaching methods, as well as their grading procedure. Parents will typically receive a syllabus that contains the schedule for each six weeks in addition to the supplies needed for the class. Parents understand what their child needs from them in order to achieve academic success.
Parent and teacher conferences are a common form of communication between parents and their child's teacher. Conferences usually occur when a teacher requests one to discuss a child's problem behavior or academic performance below their capabilities. Parents can also schedule a conference to discuss their child's grades after receiving a third or six week report card. At the conference, the parent will ask questions as to why a child's grades are so low and what concepts they have difficulty grasping. The teacher will recommend strategies or ideas that the parent should implement to improve the child's performance.
Common in elementary and middle school, weekly reports allow the teacher to show a child's activity throughout the school year. Within the report, a child receives a daily assessment of his behavior, including attentiveness, participation and respect of the teacher. Teachers can also provide graded assignments that were completed throughout the week. At the end of the week, students are to present the weekly report to parents. The parent will review, sign and return the report. Weekly reports allow teachers to keep parents in touch with their child's academic performance in real time, and may reduce the need for a parent-teacher conference.
Throughout the year, your school will have various events that require parent volunteers. A field trip, school wide carnival or school play, for example, will require parental assistance to keep children organized and focused. These extracurricular activities allow parents and teachers to collaborate in a meaningful way, strengthening the bond between the two.