How to get ready for your learning-period check-in

What to ask, what to gather, and a one-page checklist you can print

If you homeschool through a charter school, the year is usually split into learning periods, and each one tends to end with a check-in: a meeting with your child's teacher about how the period went and what comes next. Your school may call it something else, and your teacher may go by a different title, like coach.

If this is your first one, it's normal to feel like you're about to be graded. Most check-ins are closer to a conversation, and getting ready is mostly putting a few things in one place.

Your school's rules come first. Every charter school sets its own, and teachers often add their own, so use this guide as a starting point.

Start by asking your teacher what to bring

This is the one step to do today, and it takes two minutes. You can copy this message:

The answer tells you what your teacher really wants, so you don't spend an evening getting ready for the wrong thing. If you don't hear back in time, start with the list under "What to gather."

What usually happens

Check-ins can be in person, by phone, or by video. Most go something like this: your teacher looks at your child's work, asks how each subject went, and talks through the next learning period. Some teachers also talk with your child, or have a form for you to fill out or sign.

What to gather

• Your work samples. These are pieces of your child's real work that show what they learned, often one or a few per subject. Your teacher can tell you how many they want and when to turn them in. Our guide to putting together work samples covers how to pick them and what to write on each one.
• Your daily notes, if you have any. Some families keep a log, a short note of what they did each day. It helps you answer "what did you do in science?" without guessing. If you don't have one, your calendar or your child's finished work can jog your memory, and our daily learning log guide shows you how to start one for next time.
• A list of what you used. Books, programs, classes, and field trips. Titles are enough.
• Any forms from your school. Fill out what you can ahead of time.

Write a short note for each subject

A few short lines per subject is plenty. Your mind may go blank when the teacher asks how math went, and this note gives you something to read from. Here's what one looks like:

There's a place for these notes on the printable checklist below.

Bring up what didn't go well

If a subject didn't go as planned, say so early in the meeting. Something like "we didn't get far in writing, and I'd like your ideas" is enough to start. Then you can plan the next learning period together. If you're worried about what it means at your school, ask that too.

Questions worth asking

• Do you still need any work or paperwork from me for this learning period?
• What would you like to see more of next time?
• When is the next check-in, and when is the next work due?

If your child is joining

Tell them ahead of time what it is: a talk about what they've been learning, not a test. Let them pick one piece of work they like, so they have something to show and talk about.

Right after the check-in

While it's fresh, write down what your teacher asked for and when it's due, and put the dates on your calendar. If they asked for anything you haven't turned in yet, send it now.

Printable checklist

Print one for each child.