Go with your parents to parent teacher conferences. It can only be beneficial for you.

Five minutes does not seem like a lot of time to fix any issues you are having in school, but it is valuable time for your teacher and guardian to get acquainted. It’s also a chance for you to touch on any topics you are having problems with so that both your teacher and parents are aware of what is going on with you.

Everyone needs improvement in every class. There is always some aspect that students can be better at, whether it is new study methods or working with other students. Conferences are a chance for students to express how comfortable they are feeling in a certain subject. It is better for the student to be there so that if a teacher sees them struggling and tells the parent, the student can give their side of the story.

A lot of kids might be nervous at the fact that their parent is meeting their teacher. However, students should look at this as an opportunity to explain to their teacher if they are having difficulty.

Maybe it is homework, maybe it is the work groups they’re in, or maybe it’s even a certain teaching method they don’t learn well with. It is much better to say something within the next couple days than to let the teacher and the parent remain unaware of how and why the student is struggling.

Of course, five minutes might seem pointless because it certainly is not enough time to resolve every problem. ETHS has a tight schedule when it comes to conferences, and teachers and parents can’t discuss and come up with a game plan to get the student back on track right away. But if the student is there, they can briefly recognize the issue and be aware of it, or they can set up a time in the near future to further discuss how they can help resolve the situation.

Conferences are incredibly valuable. It is not a time to scare or yell at a student. Evanston only wants to make sure students are adjusting to the school year right and it really only makes sense if the student is there. Students are the only ones who can give an accurate insight into their current progress in school.

We at the Evanstonian feel that students should head out with their parent today, tomorrow and Friday back to school. It might be nerve-racking, but it is one of the best opportunities you can have to let your parents and teachers know how you feel, including how well you are doing and how you think you can improve.