Every semester, Esperanza Academy Charter School holds a Parent-Teacher Conference for both the High School and the Middle School as an opportunity for parents to meet the student’s teachers on a one-on-one basis and discuss any positives and negatives of their academic standing. Parents follow their students’ schedule getting to experience what a normal day looks like for them while seeing the classrooms where they spend time every day.
“We talk about how the students are doing and give the parents feedback as well as getting feedback from the parents to see what we can do to help,” Ms. Erickson, Chemistry, Forensics and AP Chemistry Teacher said. “I’ve learned things about students that have really helped me mold what I do for the students. Each student has their own style and sometimes it takes a parent’s perspective to show the teacher what that style is.”
The dynamic between the parent and the teacher is essential for the student’s learning as teachers can get a better sense of the student’s personality outside of the school. “It’s good to meet the students and meet the parents and see the connection between the two and figure out how it’s like for them at home. When you get to meet the parent, you kind of see a little bit of the student in them and vice versa,” Mr. Deegan, English Literature Teacher said.
Good two-way communication between families and teachers is necessary for the students’ success as it better equips them both to help the student succeed academically.