Getting to know the teacher

From 2010, schools will report at least twice a year to parents in writing about their child’s progress and achievement in reading, writing and maths, in relation to National Standards.

You can use these reports - and any other information about your child’s learning - as a focus for talking with your child’s teacher.

When and how can you talk to the teacher?

• Parent-teacher meetings are usually held 1-3 times a year. But you can approach the teacher anytime to make a time to talk about your child’s learning.
• Talk regularly with them about how your child is doing and how you can support their learning at home.
• The best time to meet with the teacher is before or after school, or set up a meeting time that suits you both.
• You may take family, whānau or a friend with you to any meeting with the teacher.
• There may also be other people at school or in the school community, such as a liaison officer or Kaumatua, who could come to teacher meetings with you.
• Let the teacher know early if you need to have a translator present at a parent-teacher meeting, to explain things in your language. Schools are able to provide this sort of support, or you may suggest someone you know who could do this for you.

Questions to ask your child’s teacher

At parent-teacher meetings, classroom discussions or other meetings you can ask questions like:

• Is my child progressing as expected?
• What can they do well?
• What do they need help with?
• What do they need to do next in their learning?
• What do you need to know about my child to help them in the classroom?
• How will the school support them?
• What can I do to help at home?
• How would you like me to contact you?

Tell the teacher if you are not sure what a part of the report means and ask them to explain it more clearly.

This helps the teacher and parents, family, and whānau have a clearer understanding about the child’s learning and progress shown in their report.

Relationships based around learning

Keep the relationship with your child’s school and teacher focused on supporting your child’s learning by:

• talking to the teacher or school about any concerns or questions you may have
• respecting the teacher’s time – if they don’t have time to talk before or after class, ask for a meeting at a time that suits both of you
• offering to come and watch or help out in the classroom during reading, writing or mathematics time
• asking for ideas about what you can do at home to support what your child learns at school
• going to parent/family/whānau meetings the school holds
• getting involved in the school by volunteering to take part in classroom learning, standing for the board or joining a parent group.