Teacher/Parent Conferences
Shares these Teacher Tips for enhancing parent/teacher conferences
1. Start off your conference with good things about the child’s behavior, character, or academic work before you launch into your concerns.
2. If the parent has to bring the child’s younger brothers and sisters, although it’s distracting, it would be really nice to have a few picture books or puzzles out for little hands to stay busy with. Hopefully the parent will remember to bring a favorite toy or snack, but they might forget.
3. Have adult-sized chairs for the parents? (if you are in the lower grades, maybe barrow from the lunchroom)
4. Remember to use your school resources for help such as the reading teacher, counselor, special education teachers. Parents may have questions about these areas.
5. Remember to close the door for your conferences. If you have back to back conferences please remember to put some chairs outside for the parents and a note on your door asking them to knock.
6. Remember that parents get a little emotional and sometimes irrational when hearing or speaking about their child’s concerns. That’s what parents do….sometimes. It may feel like a personal criticism to you but parents may just need some time to grasp what is being said about their child.
7. Help the parent by staying calm, and lead them back to the focus of our conversation before the parent’s emotional response. The most important things they need to hear from you are:
8. If you feel the child has multiple problems please don’t overwhelm the parents with several items all at once. Choose one or two of the most pressing issues and work on those first. Maybe the solutions for the major problems will help solve the other issues. It is helpful if you have brought the student to TAT (Teacher Assisting Teachers) prior to the conference so that you will have a plan of action.
9. Try not to speak in generalities such as, “You certainly have a sweet girl”. Tell the parents something specific such as, “Your daughter is very helpful to the new student in our class, making sure she is included at recess."
10. Remember that the parent is not a professional educator. Please don’t use professional language or abbreviations. Parents know that the school environments have changed since they were in school, but they tend to relate their child’s school experience with their own.
11. When you discuss a problem the child might be having with the parents, they can assist you better if you have a few suggestions for them. (Again TAT will help you with suggestions)
12. Ask for the parent’s opinions or thoughts about the situation but be confident about what strategies you will be using. Remember to ask the parents if they have any concerns or questions.
13. If you discussed a problem and possible solutions it is great to follow up with the parent in a few days to inquire if they are noticing a change and to let me know if you have seen a change.
14. Honor the parents and child’s confidentiality. Process the conference only with those directly working with the student. Talking about a parent/child to others, no matter how intense the conference might have been, such as in the teacher lounge is unprofessional. It may effect the way a child or parent is treated in the future. If you need to vent or process the conference, consulting with a trusted colleague is appropriate for your own personal growth.
Check out this link for more information
HARVARD FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT For both teachers and parents, an excellent report on how to get the most out of your parent/teacher conferences.
1. Start off your conference with good things about the child’s behavior, character, or academic work before you launch into your concerns.
2. If the parent has to bring the child’s younger brothers and sisters, although it’s distracting, it would be really nice to have a few picture books or puzzles out for little hands to stay busy with. Hopefully the parent will remember to bring a favorite toy or snack, but they might forget.
3. Have adult-sized chairs for the parents? (if you are in the lower grades, maybe barrow from the lunchroom)
4. Remember to use your school resources for help such as the reading teacher, counselor, special education teachers. Parents may have questions about these areas.
5. Remember to close the door for your conferences. If you have back to back conferences please remember to put some chairs outside for the parents and a note on your door asking them to knock.
6. Remember that parents get a little emotional and sometimes irrational when hearing or speaking about their child’s concerns. That’s what parents do….sometimes. It may feel like a personal criticism to you but parents may just need some time to grasp what is being said about their child.
7. Help the parent by staying calm, and lead them back to the focus of our conversation before the parent’s emotional response. The most important things they need to hear from you are:
- Is my child attentive during lessons or off-task?
- Exactly where does my child stand academically in comparison to others in the class as well as
- nationally (show me the test scores)?
- Which areas does my child excel in?
- Tell me how my child gets along with others.
- Exactly how long should the homework take?
8. If you feel the child has multiple problems please don’t overwhelm the parents with several items all at once. Choose one or two of the most pressing issues and work on those first. Maybe the solutions for the major problems will help solve the other issues. It is helpful if you have brought the student to TAT (Teacher Assisting Teachers) prior to the conference so that you will have a plan of action.
9. Try not to speak in generalities such as, “You certainly have a sweet girl”. Tell the parents something specific such as, “Your daughter is very helpful to the new student in our class, making sure she is included at recess."
10. Remember that the parent is not a professional educator. Please don’t use professional language or abbreviations. Parents know that the school environments have changed since they were in school, but they tend to relate their child’s school experience with their own.
11. When you discuss a problem the child might be having with the parents, they can assist you better if you have a few suggestions for them. (Again TAT will help you with suggestions)
12. Ask for the parent’s opinions or thoughts about the situation but be confident about what strategies you will be using. Remember to ask the parents if they have any concerns or questions.
13. If you discussed a problem and possible solutions it is great to follow up with the parent in a few days to inquire if they are noticing a change and to let me know if you have seen a change.
14. Honor the parents and child’s confidentiality. Process the conference only with those directly working with the student. Talking about a parent/child to others, no matter how intense the conference might have been, such as in the teacher lounge is unprofessional. It may effect the way a child or parent is treated in the future. If you need to vent or process the conference, consulting with a trusted colleague is appropriate for your own personal growth.
Check out this link for more information
HARVARD FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT For both teachers and parents, an excellent report on how to get the most out of your parent/teacher conferences.