“I Guess I’ll Wait Outside Again?”
A few years ago, my son brought home a note:
“Parent-Teacher Meeting this Friday.”
He looked at me and said, “I guess I’ll wait outside again?”
That simple sentence stopped me.
Why was the person the meeting was about not even allowed in?
So that time, I asked if he could join us. The teacher agreed.
And something shifted.
He heard honest praise and gentle feedback — and more importantly, he was invited to speak.
He didn’t deflect or get defensive. He listened. He reflected. He asked questions.
Afterwards, as we walked out, he said,
“I didn’t know a PTM could be like that.”
Here’s what I learned:
When we give students a voice, we don’t lose control — we gain connection.
When we trust them to be part of the conversation, they rise to the occasion.
Maybe it’s time we stop calling them Parent-Teacher Meetings.
Maybe it’s time we start having Student–Parent–Teacher Conversations.
Because when we include them, they don’t just listen, they lead.
Have you tried student-led or student-included PTMs? What shifted?