Hannah Guldin Chrystol White Aimee Kanemori

 Form an alliance between the teacher and parent “Above all parents need to know that their child’s teacher knows their child....The way teachers confirm they know a student is by being specific.” -Talking With Parents Today

 The aim of a parent-teacher conference is for adults to build a mutually respectful alliance that will support a child's sometimes difficult journey through school

 Your parent-teacher conferences are in a week!  Don’t freak out, here’s what you need to do: 1. Create a portfolio for each child that contains work and assessments that reflects their overall academic performance across subject areas 2. Think of three things you want to emphasize to the parents about each student 3. Create preliminary action plans that include resources and/or ways parents can help their child 4. Create an agenda for your conference

1. Set a structure 2. Listen Actively 3. Talk straight and follow the rule of three 4. Back everything up with evidence 5. Develop a plan of action 6. End it (Danger Zone)

 Thank parent for coming  State allotted time for conference  State that there are three points you want to make during the conference  Ask if there are any questions or concerns “Thank you for coming today. We have 20 minutes for our conference. I have three things I would like to discuss with you about Justin. Before I do that, I was wondering if there are any questions or concerns you would like to talk about.” (Listen actively)

 Ask parents to share their views, thoughts, or questions  Encourage them to offer examples and restate the key points they make to ensure you understood them correctly  If the parents express concerns, invite them to elaborate (“Tell me more about that”)  Focus on the student’s behavior (“When you say she is working very hard, can you tell me what you mean?”)  Try to understand the meaning of the problem to the parents (“What is it about this that most concerns you?)  Remember - Listening does not mean agreeing!

 Be simple and direct  Follow the Rule of Three  Parents are unlikely to recall more than three points from the conference  Example: “I have three key things I want to emphasize about Jane: she’s a very hard worker; she’s doing quite well in most subjects; but she is having some trouble with math.” ▪ This sentence gives parents a framework for what they are going to hear and is an upfront reminder that there is an important area of concern that shouldn’t be avoided

 Follow the statement with data and examples of each of the three points  Use a report card as a jumping-off point, not as the centerpiece of the discussion  Turn any review of grades into an opportunity to get into a more detailed observations about what's working and what's not for the student

 Consider these questions while formulating the plan:  Is the plan reasonable for all parties?  Have culturally sensitive issues been considered?  Do any parties need support to ensure plan is implemented?  Take notes on topics covered in the conference and make copies for all parties  Allows parents to easily recall what was said and will help everyone monitor the plan and its effectiveness  Before ending the conference, determine if parents have any issues with the plan

 Keep track of time  “We only have five minutes left and I still have one key item to cover.”  Restate the key themes that have been addressed by parents and the three presented by the teacher  If more time is needed, schedule another meeting

 DO NOT run over the meeting time  It will put you behind schedule with other parents and will signal that both the teacher’s and the other parent’s time is not important  Don’t relax and chit chat  It is a waste of time and dangerous because… ▪ This can reopen sensitive topics and participants can distrust the work that was done in the conference  “Knowing when to stand, shake someone’s hand, and thank them for bringing the issue to your attention is as important as solving the issue itself.”

 Use educational jargon  Leave parents bewildered with no sense of the action that they need to take  Let the rudeness of a child’s parent prevent you from continuing to help the child  Generalize a problem in an attempt to soften the blow  It makes you look like you don’t know the student and fails to inform parents accurately

 Begin tough statements with “I’m worried that” or “I’m concerned that”  Be polite and always stay in control of your emotions  Describe the child’s positive qualities (social, emotional and physical).  Reflect on the conference and take notes  Know what community resources are available and have a specialist on hand if needed  Share data in easy to understand formats and provide parents with specific suggestions  Sit on the SAME side of table as parents

 State all comments in the form of an observation  “I have noticed that Justin sings a lot during class and students are distracted.”  This ensures that you are not making judgments or diagnoses  It is not your job to make a clinical diagnosis; your job as a teacher is to state what you see is happening in the classroom and to figure out next steps with certified individuals and parents

 Stop the conference  Discuss the situation with an administrator  You don’t have to feel responsible for the parent’s anger  Find out from parents what they want the teacher to do and what they are afraid of if this doesn’t happen  “What is it you wish I could do?”  “What are you afraid of (worried about) if I can’t do that?” ▪ Shift parents from blaming and criticizing to asking for something