Adapted from: L. Albert: "Coping with Kids and School")

1. Ask the teacher(s) to identify problem(s) as specifically as possible.
   
   • What is a child doing (not doing) that he should not (should) be doing?
   
   
   • In what situations, e.g., classroom, recess, etc?
   
   
   • How is the child a disruption, etc?
   
   
   • How often does problem behavior occur?
   
   
   • Since when?


2. Clarify teacher’s expectations about behavior and performance.
   


3. Explore teacher’s past and current solutions to problem(s):
   
   • What have they tried?
   
   
   • What has been more likely (less likely) to work?
     
   • Offer ideas from "Tips for Teachers" from your visit packet


4. Devise a plan to solve problem. Work as a team. Focus on looking for factors in the current situation that may be maintaining problem and explore solutions (vs. causes). Share your own experiences (what has/has not worked) with same or similar problems in previous classes and/or at home.

Conference Checklist

Expect to know the following when you leave the conference:

• Strengths and weaknesses in major subject areas


• Regularity of class attendance? Promptness?


• Are assignments and homework being turned in? Quality? On time?


• Nature of relationship to teacher(s)


• How your child is getting along with peers in and out of the classroom


• Any changes (especially recent) in:
  
  • Learning progress
  
  
  • Behavior during the year