Tips for 6th grade teacher conferences

[Chicagomom]

My daughter is 11 and just entered 6th grade (middle school). She now has 6 different teachers for various subjects. She’s in a catholic school with a relatively small class (around 25 kids).

The transition to middle school has been OK, but I’ve had to be very involved. Like, every night after work I am literally doing the homework with her, and studying with her for multiple tests. I honestly feel like I have been reliving 6th grade and it is causing stress and anxiety for me. I also work full time but she is my only child.

Not sure if there is better support they could be giving her at school? This week she had 3 tests, one with very little notice, and I feel like I almost had a breakdown. I talk to other parents and they literally have no idea what their child is doing in school. Their kid is fully independent.

Not sure how sustainable this. The catch for me is with my support she’s been getting straight As. I don’t want to abandon her or have her not live up to her potential.

There are also tests the teachers give where they test her on the fly, like they show a video in class or give a lecture and test immediately after. She has no chance to review at home in these cases and almost universally she fails (D or F on the test). I’m not sure how fair that is for an ADHD kid.

She has an ICEP which the teachers pay varying attention to. She’s been at this school since she was 3, and has a group of friends. We’ve thought about public school (maybe more support?), but she knows some of the girls at the public school from outside activities and they are truly “mean girls” to her. Even the mention of sending her to public school creates anxiety for her. I don’t want to take her out of a school where she is adjusted socially.

The catholic school seems willing to work with her within reason. I’ve asked one of the teachers for advanced notice of tests, for example, and it has definitely helped. Not sure if there is anything else I could ask for during the upcoming conferences.

Thanks for reading!

[Chicagomom]

Also did not mention, daughter has ADHD combined type, on 20 mg Vyvanse, with booster in the afternoon as needed.

[Onthemove1971]

Thanks for the post. I assume the ICEP, is like an IEP ( Individual Educational Plan) where it states all the accommodations she needs. It sounds like you are asking when will she be able to manage her learning herself?

You could ask if the school has or can provide tutoring services for the students. This could assist her in reviewing the necessary materials before she is tested, which could be like pre-studying. You could also ask for extra time on assignments (this could include tests).

Another good question is where does she sit in class and request she sits near where the teacher lectures.

It may also help her to use audio books, not sure if they need to know about that, but just in case.

I recommend you looking into Bookshare.org, If she has an educational plan and you register her it could be free and they have many...many books for free. She can also speed up the rate and slow down the speaking rate. You download.the full texts to your device.

For us it was not until our son was in high school that he learned to manage everything. In fact senior year I did notnhave any teacher conference. Freshman year I think I had 2 and they were subjects he struggled in.

Our son is in college and he is managing everything on his own. Some kids have or learn to be successful at that and some don't.

The more she starts to take on some things herself if she can the easier it will be in the future. This might be as simple as asking the teacher for help when she doesn't quit understand something.

Hope these pointer help and good luck with the conference.

[Mamamichl]

I would ask if there are any new accommodations you need to add. Maybe see if you can get an outline of pertinent information or minimal homework so she’s not overwhelmed. Maybe have someone do a daily check in to make sure she gets her assignments scheduled appropriately. These are some accommodations that may helpz