We all have busy lives.  It gets harder and harder to find the time to do things or attend events, but there is one thing that a parent must make time for – any parent/teacher conferences that are scheduled.  These meetings are critical for you to be able to see if your child’s academic progress is on track or if there are any problem areas that need to be addressed.  Communication with your child’s teacher is important.

With the importance of these conferences, it is unbelievable to me that a parent can’t or won’t make the time to meet with their child’s teacher and talk about their child’s progress.  A child might be having difficulty in school and then all of the sudden at the end of the year a parent is wondering why their child has failed a subject.  Regular communication with your child’s teacher, as well as attending parent/teacher conferences, can point out any problem areas before they become major problems.

It’s our responsibility as parents to take an active role in our children’s education.  We need to take an active role in helping our children with homework, studying for tests, completing projects, and so on.  Open and regular communication with your child’s teacher is an essential component of your child’s overall education.

Don’t forget there are other professionals in your child’s school (such as guidance counselors or school psychologists) who you can speak with to make sure your child is getting all the support she needs to be successful academically.  Utilize every resource available to you and your child to get the most out of their time at school.

Even if you haven’t been the most active in your child’s education, it isn’t too late to change things and become more active in their academic life.  Take the opportunity to contact your child’s teacher to schedule a parent/teacher conference to find out how your child measures up academically and what you can do as a parent to help her succeed.