Student, Parent & Teacher Interviews (SPTI)

Advice for Parents

Open communication with your child’s secondary school is especially important through the changes and challenges of the adolescent years. Schools and teachers, as well as support staff including counsellors, are in an excellent position to watch how your child is developing and learning.

Student, Parent & Teacher interviews give you a great opportunity to:

• Learn more about your child’s academic, emotional and social development
• Meet and get to know your child’s teachers
• Help your child’s teachers understand more about your child
• Make plans with the teacher about how you can both support your child
• Build a relationship with your child’s school
• Show your child that you’re interested in their learning needs and what’s happening for them at school

Before the interview

The interview time tends to pass quickly so it helps to be well prepared. A list of questions will help you remember what you want to talk about. For example:

• What are my child’s strengths?
• What does my child struggle with?
• How much homework should my child be doing every night?
• What can I do at home to help my child with schoolwork?
• What can you tell me about my child’s behaviour in class?
• How is my child getting along with other students?
• What support services are available for my child at school?

At the interview

The interview may be the first time you meet your child’s teacher. Please be assured that it is normal to feel a bit nervous and that teachers will make you feel at ease in the interview. You’ll have a pre-arranged meeting time so it’s important to be on time.

Being open and friendly will set you up for positive communication with the teacher. You can show that you respect what the teacher is saying by listening carefully and trying not to become too defensive, even if you disagree with the feedback. It’s important to get as much out of the meeting as you can, so if you don’t understand or fully grasp what’s being said, please ask the teacher to explain to clarify or expand on a point.

If you need to discuss any problems with the teacher, it helps to come ready with some possible solutions, or at least some positive and practical suggestions. Be willing to listen to the teacher’s ideas too. The aim is for you and your child’s teacher to work on problems in partnership with each other. After all, you both share the same goal of wanting your child to learn and feel successful. If you make any decisions, it’s good to agree on who will follow up and when.

Interviews are held in open areas. If you know that you want to raise a sensitive or confidential topic with a teacher, it might be a good idea to arrange a separate meeting.