Five questions for the ten-minute meeting
The report meeting with the teacher often lasts only ten minutes. With these five questions — in Dutch, with a translation — you get the most out of it.
After each report, many primary schools invite parents for a short meeting with the teacher: the tienminutengesprek, the ten-minute meeting. Ten minutes goes fast. Coming with a few questions ready helps you hear what matters.
Before the meeting
- Read the report and mark what you want to ask about.
- Ask your child: what goes well at school, and what is hard?
- Do you need help with the language? You may ask the school whether an interpreter or someone you trust can join.
Five questions to ask
1. How is my child doing in class?
Hoe gaat het met mijn kind in de klas?
A broad start: you hear about learning, but also about friends and how your child feels.
2. What does my child find difficult?
Waar heeft mijn kind moeite mee?
Ask for an example, so you understand what the teacher means.
3. What can I do at home?
Wat kan ik thuis doen om te helpen?
Teachers often have concrete tips: reading together, practising times tables, a fixed time for homework.
4. How will we know it is going better?
Hoe merken we dat het beter gaat?
This makes the plan concrete: what will change, and by when?
5. When will we talk again?
Wanneer spreken we elkaar weer?
A next moment makes sure the plan does not stop after ten minutes.
Did you not understand something?
It is normal to ask the teacher to slow down or to explain a word. Useful sentences:
- Kunt u dat nog een keer uitleggen? — Could you explain that once more?
- Kunt u wat langzamer praten? — Could you speak a little more slowly?
- Wat betekent dat woord? — What does that word mean?
After the meeting
Write down what you agreed while you still remember it. In Lexora you can add the meeting — record it (ask the teacher first), upload a file or type your notes — and get a short summary in your language with what was decided and the next steps.
