Effective Parent Teacher Conferences

Effective Teacher Parent Conferences (The Steps to holding)

After conducting an informal survey of elementary school parents regarding parent- teacher conferences and what they feel would better serve them as parents and you as a teacher.

The reoccurring theme throughout most of the responses was clarity of how their child is performing and recourses they can use at home to help their child. This was prevalent with Exceptional Student Education (ESE) parents.

With that in mind I have come up with suggestions that will help you, the classroom teacher, better meet the needs of both students and parents. After all, we are providing a service and the parents are our stakeholders. It's as simple as 1, 2, and 3!

1. Develop Respect and Rapport, 2. Be prepared, and 3. Follow through.

Develop Respect and Rapport:

• As soon as you meet the parent, maintain certain eye contact. Repeat the parent's name and acknowledge the student's name. This may happen at a meet your teacher event.

• Your demeanor and physical appearance will set the tone for all future interactions. If you act timid, uncertain or aloof, you will be treated as such. If you are too aggressive you may cause a shut down with both parties. Students will tell you how their parents feel about you, oftentimes with great joy, even after being warned by the parent not to tell.

• If you teach in a tight-knit community, your reputation will spread like wild fire. As unfair as that may seem, it is a reality. Let's make that reality a positive one.

(If you are a new teacher, never say this is my first teaching job. It is a sure way to instill doubt and uncertainty in parents. You have interned. "I've taught first grade at XYZ Elementary. It's not being deceitful, because you have.)

Be Prepared:

• When requesting a conference have a start and end time. I personally give 20-30 minutes. (If the parent is late, reschedule if you cannot finish by your end time.) Stick to the end time as it will let the parent know you are a professional and your time is valuable.

• You must have your conference notes, work samples and informal notes ready. Nothing screams incompetent like a teacher rifling through papers. Imagine your medical doctor doing that upon your visit. Scary.

• Items needed: Most recent D.R.A., Classroom weekly Tests, Running Records, class work samples and an on level text.

• Take notes. Have your clipboard ready. Start your conference with a positive. ALWAYS. Parents need to hear that you see their children in a positive light. Then address your greatest concern first. One concern. Do not inundate the parent with a grocery list of concerns. That will cause an immediate shut down. If, for example your student is below level in reading. That is the issue you need to address. There may be other issues that grow from that lack of skill, but let's keep it manageable for both you and the parent.

• SAY IT LIKE YOU WOULD WANT TO HEAR IT AS A PARENT! I cannot emphasize this enough. You are talking about their baby, their child! You must use positive phrasing and always give them a sense of hope. If you put the parent on the defensive, you might as well conference with a pencil. That parent is his child's voice. If that parent doesn't feel safe or that his child is safe, it's over. Talk to the pencil!

• You might start off with, "I need your help with a problem I have identified through these samples, Reading Comprehension." Listen to the parent. Take note of what they say. Do not let them see what you're writing. If asked, you inform them that you're noting their concerns.

• You keep in control of the conference. Avoid it becoming a gripe session about the child's past poor teachers. Redirect the parent each and every time they go off on a gripe. Statements like, "This is how I am going to help your child." Let's focus on how we can help your child now." Keep them in the here and now.

• Provide the parent with the Intensive response to intervention that will be done on your part. What does it look like? How often will it occur? How will you measure success?

• Elicit the parents' help. You will get "buy- In" if you include the parent in the solution.

• Provide the parent information (a plan) on EXACTLY how they can help. Have both an intensive plan and a minimal plan. NEVER suggest tutoring unless you are willing to pay. (That also applies to suggesting medical or psychological evaluations.) Most school districts have in place a warning that if you do suggest outside services, you will be assessed those fees. Watch your wording carefully. You are a professional, but not a doctor or psychologist.

Follow up:

• Explain how you plan to follow- up with your conference. I, for example, tell a parent that I will send home graded work with all students on Wednesdays (each week) in the Red PTA folder.

• Communicate through, Emails, texts, and a weekly behavior/ communication sheets and daily planners are ways you will here from me.

• Weekly Newsletter, sharing class news.

• Inform the parent that you will follow- up with how the plan is doing, both at home and at school.

• Allow the parents an out. Some parents cannot work with their own children. Elicit from them possible solutions to this problem. Do NOT suggest, but if they suggest on getting a tutor, you are putting the ball in their court. They suggested it. Tread lightly here. You might say,"Oh, if YOU think that might help, then by all means." You cannot be that tutor. That is clearly a breach of your professional license. Avoid giving suggestions. You clearly want to steer clear of any inferred connection.

Helpful Extras:

• Never hold impromptu conferences unless there is a medical or family emergency where you are listening only.

• Join your union! It will protect you from ineffective administrators that call you up to the office to FACE OFF with parents. (Politely respond. "I am not prepared to discuss this child at this time.)

• If your administration requires you to do so, ask that your union representative sit in with you, AFTER you have stated again to all parties you are unprepared for conference.

• Parents may not abuse you in any way. If they become unruly or begin yelling, politely stand up turn on your heal and proclaim that this conference is over and head toward administration. If you are alone, which you should not be, and in fear for your safety, have your cell phone ready by your side, call 911 and get out into the open where you can be seen by others.