How to conduct a successful parent teacher conference

Conducting A Successful Parent/Teacher Conference

• Send home a form. Giving parents an idea of what will be discussed at the meeting along with a list of skills their…
• Be prepared with samples and examples. Have a folder of work, good and bad, to share with the parents. If you are going…
• Mix praise with concerns. Parents will become overwhelmed if you meet them with a…

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How can I organize a parent-teacher conference?

How can I organize a Parent-Teacher Conference?

• Step-by-step instructions. Please follow these steps on how to set up your upcoming Parent-Teacher Conference. …
• Announcing the Parent-Teacher Conference. If you already have invited the parents, you can go ahead and announce the conference times. …
• Editing your conferences. …
• Viewing the Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-ups. …

What is your method of approach to Parent Teacher Conferences?

Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

• Communicate Before a Conference. Regular communication with parents throughout the year can prevent issues down the road so that there is not as much to discuss at a single conference.
• Come Prepared. …
• Be Prepared for Upset Parents. …
• Think About the Room Setup. …
• Begin and End on a Positive Note. …
• Be Attentive. …
• Avoid Eduspeak. …

How to plan a productive parent teacher conference?

Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

• Think About the Room Setup. Teachers should position themselves close to parents for comfort and engagement during conferences. …
• Begin and End on a Positive Note. Teachers should begin and end every conference with a compliment or (true) anecdote about a student’s strength.
• Be Attentive. …
• Avoid Eduspeak. …

How to have a successful parent teacher conference?

Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

• Come Prepared. Teachers should have examples of student work available for reference at every parent-teacher conference.
• Be Prepared for Upset Parents. Every teacher will face an angry parent at some point. …
• Think About the Room Setup. …
• Begin and End on a Positive Note. …
• Be Attentive. …
• Avoid Eduspeak. …

What do you say at the beginning of a parent teacher conference?

When planning what to say at parent teacher conferences, start by showing that you know the child as an individual. This is the number one things parents want to know, especially in preschool, kindergarten and first grade. These are their babies and they have entrusted them to you.

What do you talk about at a parent teacher conference?

Make a list of topics that you want to discuss with the teacher and that you think the teacher should know, such as your concerns about the school, the child’s home life, any major changes in your family, habits, hobbies, part-time jobs, religious holidays, or anything that is worrying your child.

What parents should say in the parent-teacher conference?

Be sure to explain any terms, curriculum titles, or even words on progress reports that aren’t commonly used outside the school setting. Ask questions and listen. Ask parents or guardians for their input about students’ strengths, needs, and learning styles, as well as their hopes and dreams for their children.

What questions do you ask at a parent-teacher conference?

Questions About the CurriculumCan you describe your teaching style?What skills are you working to develop right now?How do these skills relate to the goals of the entire school year?What are the five most important skills you want students to develop this year?Does my student have to take standardized tests?More items…•

How long does it take for a teacher to give a presentation?

Students share their work with their parents for the first half hour, and then teachers give a 30-minute presentation just for parents that builds on the work students are doing in school. Afterward, teachers provide related resources—games, websites, readings—that families can take home to use with their children.

What is 11th grade meeting?

In 11th grade, the student-led meetings are college and career focused. Students discuss their career interests and hopes for college, then create an action plan so they’re ready to apply. “School is not here to happen to students,” says Dan St. Louis, University Park’s principal. “They are an active participant.”.

Who suggested that parents think their kids are perfect?

To handle tricky situations when you have to give negative feedback at conferences, an approach suggested by Joe Hirsch, a leadership coach and former curriculum developer, might help.

Who is Maria Paredes?

While working as the director of community education in Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix, Maria Paredes developed Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT), a new take on parent-teacher conferences that is now used by schools all over the country.

Do parent teacher conferences have to be a headache?

Parent-teacher conferences don’t have to be such a headache. Educators weigh in on how to solve common problems.

How to build a relationship with your child’s family?

Asking parents for their opinion and input can also build respect and strengthen your relationship with the child’s family. Propose a cooperative team effort. When discussing strategies to address areas of concern, have a team mindset and emphasize statements that promote collaboration. “Let’s work together to…”.

How to help a child with social skills?

Talk with parents about their child’s ability level in social situations and in different academic subjects. Make sure parents understand the different learning goals in place for their child. Communicate any concerns you have about the child’s behavior and performance in school.

Is a parent teacher conference stressful?

Parent-teacher conferences can be stress inducing for everyone involved. As a teacher, you’ve most likely experienced the anxiety that comes from worrying over how to breach certain topics with parents and how to say things the right way.

How to set up a parent teacher meeting?

Here are fifteen tips to set you up for success before diving into parent-teacher meetings. 1. Offer a flexible conference schedule. Some parents have more than one student in the school, multiple jobs, or may have difficulty traveling, so they need teachers to be flexible when scheduling conferences. In these cases, teachers may need to meet …

When do teachers meet with parents?

In these cases, teachers may need to meet with parents early in the morning, later in the afternoon, or during recess breaks. Meeting via Skype or FaceTime is an option for parents who simply cannot make it to school. 2. Prepare, prepare, prepare.

What is the first impression you make when meeting someone in a classroom?

You and your classroom should be welcoming to students and parents, and your body language is one of the first impressions visitors have when meeting you. Crossed arms, tension, intense glares, rigid posture, frustrated and fidgety movements all convey negativity that will quickly sour the mood of a conference.

What are some good ways to present information?

A good way to present this information is through “Glows and Grows.”. Share a student’s positive achievements or traits that make them glow as well as two or more areas in which they can grow.

How to improve a gifted student?

Every student, even the gifted ones, can improve in some way. Write specific goals for each student. Along with those goals, create an action plan with steps for improvement, as well as a timeline with milestones to gauge a student’s progress.

How to teach a third grader?

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Whether you teach every subject to third-graders or geometry to 200 ninth- and tenth-graders, conferences require hours of preparation. Keeping accurate and current records makes this process much easier. 3. Arrange for a translator if needed, and find a way to connect.

Do parents need a translator?

Parents who don’t speak English require a translator. Schools may need to arrange a translator — ideally not a student — so that they can effectively and respectfully communicate. If you’re working with a translator, find a way to connect with the parent or parents despite the language barrier.

Making parent-teacher conferences count

The primary purpose of a parent-teacher conference is for the teacher to brief the parents on the child’s academic progress and share anything notable about the child’s behavior and development at school.

Making preparation easier

Preparing for parent-teacher conferences is one reason why teachers work such long hours. Teachers usually are their own clerical staff, and they can use all the help they can get just to stay organized.

What is parent teacher conference?

Parent-teacher conferences are held both for discussing students’ academic progress, and for building and strengthening parent-teacher partnership to achieve academic goals. Here are 5 steps that teachers can follow to execute smooth and productive parent-teacher conferences:

What is professional learning board?

Professional Learning Board is a leading provider of online professional development classes that teachers use to renew a teaching license or renew a teaching certificate.

Be Proactive

Don’t forget to factor in some students’ ninja-like ability to ensure their parents don’t know conference times and dates; the same student who may have trouble on his math exams may be secretly adept at hacking into his dad’s smartphone and deleting a voicemail. Repeated communication is occasionally necessary.

Be Welcoming

Set the right tone for your parent-teacher meeting by shaking hands, stating your name and the subject you teach, and mentioning how happy you are to be teaching their child. Smile warmly, and offer them a seat. If you’re looking for an easy way to break the ice, share a positive anecdote about their child.

Explain Objectives and Expectations

I like to give parents an overview of the goals for my classes and a copy of our reading list. I discuss the expectations I have for my students and explain any language that a parent might not be familiar with: rubric, scaffolding, readiness, testing acronyms, etc.

Be Prepared

Parents want to see that the teacher knows their child and has a plan for their success. Review your students’ grades and portfolios before the conferences. Jot down notes about each student, anticipate questions or parental concerns, and reread any prior parent communication so you don’t miss a beat.

Create an Action Plan

Parents don’t want a laundry list of concerns dumped in their laps—they want to know how you’re going to fix the problem. Create an action plan that clearly lays out the specific steps that the teacher, the parent, and the student will need to take in order for the student to be successful.

Use the Good-Bad-Good Sandwich

When it comes to discussing tough topics with a parent, this trick is the silver bullet. Start by highlighting something positive—”Gerald’s writing shows an insight I don’t often see in students his age”—then move on to the issue: “The problem is that Gerald is often off-task, and I’ve caught him on his phone several times.

Don’t Tolerate Abuse

I’ve had parents threaten to call the superintendent, the mayor, the pope (OK, maybe not the pope, but you get the idea). If a parent becomes abusive, simply end the meeting; explain how they can take up the matter with the principal. There’s no reason you have to let a parent bully or intimidate you.

Plan the Conference

Create a meeting schedule with a reasonable amount of time for each conference – remember to leave time for your lunch and breaks

Communicate Prior to Meeting

Share information about the timing and goals of the conferences, as well as alternative scheduling options in your sign up. Genius Tip: Create custom confirmation or reminder emails to automatically email this information to parents who sign up.

Meet with Parents

Begin by discussing positive aspects of the child’s experiences in your class. Always start and end with a student’s strengths.

Close the Conference

Close the conference by setting goals for the child’s future work. You may even find it helpful to provide a conference summary form.