Questions for Your Child’s Next PTM Session
This post was written in collaboration with my friend who shares about mum life over at @littlekaypohkia — be sure to check out her fun, lighthearted (and occasionally sassy) content!
If you’ve got school-going kids, you’ll know that part of the school calendar is the annual parent-teacher meeting (PTM), where parents have a chance to meet their child(ren)'s teachers in person to find out how they've been doing in school. Well, it’s that time of the year for my family!
My kid’s an early school-goer. He started playgroup at 18 months old, and we’re blessed to have found this school in which he’s well-settled and enjoys every day. One of the things we love about this school is how open and frequent their teachers do communicate with us parents, so when the annual PTM rolled around, I was eager to make the most out of it.
What’s the Purpose of Parent-Teacher Meetings?
I’m going to venture a guess that many of you reading this are Asian parents. I’m a Singaporean mama (hello!), and that means I can relate with you if the first word (or at least the first few words) that comes up when you think of school is “exam results”!
Generally, for many Asian parents, "doing well" in school means our child is able to follow along academically, and perhaps even excel. Understandably, when we approach a PTM, asking about test results and academic performance comes way high up in priority, and not so much other topics.
But did you know that the purpose of a Parent-Teacher Meeting from a holistic perspective can encompass so much more? For example:
Understanding Your Child’s Development
Gain all-round insights into your child's academic, emotional, social, and behavioural growth in the classroom setting.Building Collaborative Relationships
Foster a strong partnership with school teachers to support your child's learning journey and overall well-being.Addressing Strengths and Challenges
Celebrate your child's achievements while identifying areas for improvement and how both parents and teachers can work together to address them.Sharing Context and Perspectives
Exchange information about your child’s experiences at home and school to provide a fuller picture of their needs and strengths.Setting Goals and Expectations
Align on strategies, objectives, and plans to nurture your child’s holistic development, ensuring that their emotional, social, and academic needs are met.
So, What Exactly Do I Ask My Child’s Teacher at a Parent-Teacher Meeting?
Thought you’d never ask! Here’s a handy-dandy list:
General
What activities or tasks do my child enjoy the most?
How does my child adjust to the daily routine and classroom structure?
What improvements have you noticed in my child since the start of the year?
Emotional
How does my child express and manage emotions like excitement, sadness, or frustration?
How does my child respond to discipline or guidance?
Social
Is my child making friends easily?
Do you notice any patterns, like preferring group play or solo activities?
What social skills could my child improve, and how can we work on these together?
Personal Milestones
Are there particular challenges my child faces at school?
Have you noticed areas where my child needs extra encouragement and support?
What milestones should I look out for in the next few months?
Learning Abilities
Does my child show curiosity or interest in specific play or learning activities?
How does my child handle new concepts or instructions?
Are there any habits my child has that might affect their learning positively or negatively?
Home & School Collaboration
What can I do at home to reinforce what my child is learning?
Do you recommend any activities, toys, or books to support what my child is learning at school?
Are there skills the school is planning to teach that I can reinforce at home (e.g. potty training, self-help, self-care skills)?
If you’d like to have this list of questions in a single-page printable so that you can take it along to your next PTM for easy reference, click on this link to download it right into your device.
How to Use These Questions
A little love note on this list of questions, though… they’re but a list. It’s quite likely you won’t have time to go through all of these with your child’s teacher(s), and after all they have many other kids’ parents to meet. So do feel free to pick the ones that are most beneficial to your child and your family, and as for the rest? This brings me to my next point:
Use these questions all year!
Parent-Teacher Meetings are a great starting point, but these questions can be helpful touch-points throughout the year.
You can use these questions any time of year and check in with your child’s teacher at drop-offs, pick-ups, or via messages (if applicable) to stay connected and aligned in supporting your child’s growth.
