Similar to our personal lives, it may sometimes feel like we conduct most of our communication over devices.
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How to Streamline Parent Teacher Conferences
Similar to our personal lives, it may sometimes feel like we conduct most of our communication over devices.
This is often the case with the parents of our students too. We’re busy, they’re busy, and email, text, social media, and other platforms and apps may seem the easiest way to go.
Luckily, we will have scheduled parent-teacher conferences throughout the year that will provide us with the face-to-face communication that is so important. Careful preparation can help you, and the parents benefit most from these meetings.
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Impromptu parent meeting
Of course, suppose a situation arises where a child is having a challenging time or underperforming. In that case, it is important to call an impromptu meeting rather than trying to resolve the situation digitally.
It’s always good practice to keep parents in the loop as challenges become more noticeable rather than calling for a conference as your first step. Parents have a lot on their plates, especially if their child is going through a difficult time, and it’s unfair to create more stress for them by failing to communicate. Put yourself in their shoes and think about how you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.
Putting unplanned conferences to one side, let’s focus on the regularly scheduled conferences and take a look at some strategies that can help both you and your parents get the most out of these meetings.
Be prepared
Bring examples of the student’s classwork; if there are any areas where they may be struggling, be sure to provide the parents with concrete examples. When fully prepared for the conference, it is easier to voice any concerns while remaining objective. Show rather than tell.
If there is a lengthy conversation about their child’s challenges, be sure to buffer that with some mention of the areas where they are doing well. If appropriate, discuss with the parents any extra help that may benefit their child’s academic performance.
It’s always important to highlight what is going well rather than only discussing problematic areas. Here are a few ideas to help you and the parents get the most out of the meeting:
- Create a takeaway for the parents to take home
- Ask for feedback
- It may not be easy, but be sure to bring up any areas of concern
Have an agenda for important points to cover during the conference
Discuss any major testing that is coming up or changes to class schedules that they need to be aware of. Give an overview of the subject matter being taught and the methods used during the lessons. Go over any future field trips or immersive learning modules that the kids may feel nervous about.
Stay to your agenda and allow free-form discussion should the need arise.
Making the parents feel welcome is an important part of the process
Try to make the conference as collaborative as possible. It’s important that the parents feel engaged in the process. Don’t talk at them but encourage a conversation where you provide information while also welcoming their feedback and input.
Don’t be shy about bringing up any concerns, but be sure to provide a solution to any problems concerning their child.
Leave the door open at the end of the conference by stressing to the parents that you are in this together and welcome their future input. Make sure to end on a high note that stresses your proactive strategies. Parent-teacher conferences are a great opportunity to deepen your bond with your student’s parents!
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