Parent Conferences from a Teacher's perspective

As a teacher, preparing parent/teacher conferences can be challenging but if you prepare, it doesn’t need to be an anxious time. I can remember getting ready for conferences and trying to find several positive attributes that I could share with each parent. Check out these TIPPS for making the parent/teacher conference a powerful tool in fostering success for the student achievement in your class.

• Begin the conference with a positive quality of the student. If it is difficult to find a positive in the student’s grade, you could share comments such as, “Your child is such a pleasure to have in class.” “You son is so creative and a great dreamer.” For behaviorally challenging students you could share that, “Your daughter is a kinesthetic learner and she has potential to be a great leader.”
• Review your classroom and learning expectations for students.
• Share actual evidence, examples of student work, and test, quizzes with the parents.
  Encourage the student to attend the conference and bring a friend as moral support if the parent permits. Student led parent conferences can be a powerful tool in authentic reporting of student progress.
• Use parent talk rather than all of the education jargon that we use on a daily basis.
  Provide the parent concrete and practical activities that the they can work on with their child at home.
• Finally, always provide hope for the parent and student. Regardless of the child is the lowest performing student or the best, parents want to know that their child’s teacher believes in their child’s academic success.

If you follow these TIPPS and thoroughly prepare for the meeting, parent/teacher conferences can become a positive experience for you, the parent, and student.