ERIN PATTON, MIDDLE LEVEL TEACHER

It’s Fall, y’all!

When the Great State Fair of Oklahoma rolls out of town, I know Parent-Teacher Conferences will come up shortly after. These can be stressful for all parties involved, so how do we combat the nerves?

Communication Before Conferences

Ideally, a conference should not be the first time a parent is hearing from you. Whichever system you utilize, I like Class Dojo, make sure you’ve made some sort of positive contact with each family before Fall Conferences. If most of your families made it to Meet the Teacher night, focus on contacting those who didn’t in the first weeks of school. As always, keep records of each time you reach out to parents and guardians. Parental input is invaluable in understanding best practices for each student.

Elements of a Great Conference

Organizing and sorting student work ahead of time will help your conferences run smoothly. In addition to any report cards, test data, or anecdotal notes you have, it is also an excellent practice to include examples of students’ work at the meeting. I like to show parents examples of work their child tried hard to complete as well as anything left incomplete. Homework is rare these days, so many parents may ask for work they can do at home. I saved a stack of workbooks from the trash a few years back and often send them home with families looking for extra credit.

When Things Don’t Go Well

Sometimes, for whatever reason, conferences can get heated. It is not always an easy task to listen to other adults speak about your child. This is especially true if the parents are left feeling like something their kid did is somehow their fault. It’s extremely important to remember that all students can learn with proper supports in place. It will help ease any tension if you can explain to parents what you are doing as the teacher to help their child succeed in your class. Document it all! If you feel a conference going in a negative direction, or if a parent comes in activated, it is always okay to call for an administrator.

Final Thoughts

How beautiful would it be if ALL Parent-Teacher Conferences left parents feeling full of hope for their children? Ultimately, we all want to know we are doing a good job. Don’t be afraid to address legitimate concerns, but also remember the Sandwich Principle: say something positive about the student, bring up the not so great things, but always finish up with more of what the student does well. Best wishes for a productive Conference Season!

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