Parent-Teacher Conferences
This is one of the busiest weeks of the school year even though it is only 3 days long! I know that every teacher has put in countless hours preparing for conferences. Here a just a few helpful hints to make your conferences go smoothly-
1. Accentuate the POSITIVE! The most important thing to remember as you begin your conferences is to be positive about each student you discuss. Assure the parents that you are an advocate for their child and that you want to see every child succeed in your classroom. It may sound so obvious but it really does help set the right tone for the rest of the conference whether or not you have to address any major learning or discipline problems. Highlight the positive and you will see those parents beam with pride!
2. Be specific in your comments. Parents may flounder if you deal only in generalities. Instead of saying “She doesn’t accept responsibility,” pin down the problem by pointing out “Amanda had a whole week to finish her report but she only wrote two paragraphs.” Back yourself up with real data. Share areas of growth and areas of concern as you prepare to set goals with the parents. We have a high percentage of students attend the conferences with their parents. Take advantage of this opportunity to have the student discuss how they think things are going this year. Help guide them as they teach their parents about their progress and needs. This empowers the student and turns the responsibility for learning over to them. It is also a great way to bring up some of the hard to discuss items like inappropriate language, bullying, dress code problems, etc.
3. Watch you time —- some parents are so fun to sit and talk to and others are dealing with so much that they want you to solve everything during their conference. You don’t want to be playing catch-up all night so remind those parents who arrive late that you have just a few minutes before your next scheduled conference so that they realize they do not get a full conference!! It is not fair to the parents who arrive on time and are waiting! Some teachers even set a timer or place a clock where it is visible to both teacher and parents. This one can get tricky as the night goes on but try to stay on schedule!
Relax and enjoy meeting with your parents. We have an amazing community and they are so supportive of our Quest mission. Good luck and enjoy your well deserved looooonng weekend. (AND remember- STAY AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL!)
