26 questions to ask at a parent-teacher conference

Taking part in parent-teacher conferences is an effective way to take an active role in your child’s academic life. These brief meetings a couple times a year allow you to get updates about your child’s progress in the classroom, build a relationship with their teacher, get insights into their skills and challenges, and discover ways to help your child overcome obstacles and achieve success.

But to get the most out of these important meetings, it’s best to prepare yourself with the right parent-teacher meeting questions. Here’s a helpful list of questions to help you prepare for your next meeting.

Key questions to ask at a parent-teacher conference

One of the best ways to initiate the parent-teacher conference is to begin by asking the following question:

1. Before we start, can I share some important information about my child?

2. What are the most important skills students need to develop this year, and how can I help my child learn them at home?

3. What tests and evaluations will my child take in your class this year?

4. How can I support my child in being more organized and completing homework to the best of their ability?

5. Could you recommend questions I can ask my child to encourage them to share what’s going on in your class and in school overall?

6. What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses in your class?

7. What subjects are they excelling in? What subjects are they struggling with?

8. Does my child turn in homework on time?

9. Does my child participate in classroom assignments and discussions?

10. Is my child reading at the appropriate level for their age and grade?

11. What can I do at home to support my child’s academic progress or address any areas of concern?

12. If I need to reach out to you concerning my child, what’s the best contact method (e.g. email, phone, text, etc.)?

13. How can I work with you to make your job easier as you support my child’s growth?

14. Is there anything about your teaching style that would be helpful for me to know, and how can I be consistent with that approach at home?

15. What’s the best way to stay informed about school programs and my child’s performance?

16. Does my child ever get angry or act out in other ways?

17. Does my child ever become unusually withdrawn?

18. Does my child seem happy?

19. Does my child interact well with their peers?

20. Does my child maintain friendships with others?

21. Does my child interact well with authority figures?

22. Do you have suggestions for what I can do at home to promote healthy behaviors in the classroom?

23. How/when should I follow up with you about my child’s progress?

24. Are there other people we should meet with to understand my child’s academic performance and progress?

25. Do you have any other feedback or concerns about my child?

26. Is there anything I didn’t ask that you think I should know about?

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Asking the right questions in a parent-teacher conference can help you both find the most effective strategies to support your child’s academic performance and ensure their success in the classroom.

Jotform resources for education

You may be wondering if you’re required to have in-person parent-teacher conferences. While that may be the ideal scenario, it’s not always convenient. To make participation easier for both you and the teacher, you may consider conducting your meeting online. Learn more here about how to hold virtual parent-teacher meetings on Zoom.

Jotform can even automate this virtual meeting process through our features and tools, including our parent survey maker. This convenient tool allows teachers to choose a ready-made template and customize it with our drag-and-drop form builder — no coding required. Teachers can use Jotform to send questionnaires to gather parents’ questions and concerns via email, making the feedback process more convenient for everyone. 

Other key features that are helpful for teachers include drag-and-drop form-building functionality; integrations to connect online forms with other popular third-party apps; and security features including 256-bit SSL encryption, PCI certification, and more.

In addition to our numerous free resources, Jotform has special pricing plans just for educators. Educators receive a 50 percent discount for any paid plan. Our Bronze plan is just $17 per month and includes 25 forms and 1,000 monthly submissions. Our Silver plan is $19.50 per month and includes 50 forms and 2,500 monthly submissions, and our Gold plan is $24.50 per month and includes 100 forms and 5,000 monthly submissions.

For advanced functionality and multi-user support, we also offer a 30 percent discount to educational institutions on Jotform Enterprise. Jotform Enterprise offers all the functionality of other Jotform plans, plus features like single sign-on, administrative control over user accounts, dedicated customer support, and additional security options.

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