Effective Communication Forest Ridge Elementary School District 142 Induction Program Children Always Come First Dr. Lori J. Leppert

“A Parent~Teacher Conference is…” Think-Pair-Share Partner up and complete this sentence. We’ll share when we regroup. Develop a list of things that you need to do to prepare for parent-teacher conferences. Share your conference experiences.

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“A Parent~Teacher Conference is…” stressful for parents and teachers ~ not! an opportunity for parents and teachers to formulate the best plan for the student. important because parents are the most influential people in a child’s life! a way to strengthen the partnership that ultimately improves academic achievement. payback time for little Joey ~ not!

Planning for Conferences Know your students’ and parents’ names and family situations. Decide on an agenda and goals. Prepare suggestions for improvement. Communicate your concerns early…no surprises. Now is the right time to contact parents regarding student progress.

Arranging The Setting Adult size chairs. Mints (for you and for them)! Greet parents with a smile and a handshake. Provide a pen and paper. When possible, sit with parents rather than across from them. Don’t invite others without making the parents aware.

Conducting The Conference Start off with a student strength! Refer to your agenda. Listen carefully to parent responses. Find out what common ground you share. Focus on things that can be changed. Be sensitive to body language. Avoid jargon and educational lingo. Be honest, but tactful.

Handle With Care! Start off with a student strength! This is someone’s child! Illustrate difficulties with work samples and have performance data ready to share. “Kill ’em with kindness!” Remember…you are the professional. Stay on track (don’t criticize or compare). Focus on behaviors, don’t diagnose.

The Difficult Parent~Teacher Conference Choose your words carefully! Allow for opposing dialogue…discuss don’t argue. Seek parents’ suggestions. Decide how you will follow up after the conference. Focus on your goal…to improve student achievement and efficacy and ensure success.

Tips For Successful Conferences Start off with a student strength! Ask parents to write down questions or concerns in advance (Homework for Parents). Don’t get defensive….we all have a common goal! Be prepared. Limit your comments to what you see (it is alright to not know why). Be empathetic…remember (or imagine) what it feels like to sit on the other side of the table.

What Parents Really Want to Know What are my child’s strengths? How does my child interact and contribute? Is there a specific concern? What resources will help? What can we do to help my child be more successful? What progress has my child made? How will we follow-up?

What about the rest of the year? It is critical that you keep your on-line grade book up-to-date. Communication should happen regularly. Make it part of your regular routine. Involving students in the process lives in the distinguished domain of the Framework. A newsletter, wiki, or weebly is a great tool to help you organize information. It is expected that you respond to parent phone calls and emails within 24 hours.

Student Led Conferences? Student led conferences could help you put students on “center stage” and take more responsibility for their academic achievement, self discipline, and physical well-being. They reflect the belief that students should be actively involved in their learning and assume responsibility for the learning process. Students tend to become more critical in their approach to learning in the process.

Student led conferences… Encourage students to take an active role in their learning. Motivate students to take more ownership for their work. Allow students to see their progress over time. Encourage students to evaluate their work. Facilitate open communication as equal partners.

Before the Conference Begin the year with a goal setting conference. Use data to identify strengths and weaknesses. Complete student interest inventories and parent questionnaires. Prepare samples of student work to show evidence of growth and progress towards their goal. Have students organize work with a table of contents.

Still preparing… Ask students to explain and reflect upon their choices (Post-It Notes). I put this in my portfolio because… I feel good about this piece because… If I did this piece again, I would improve by… Model the process and provide opportunities for students to practice. Develop an agenda. i.e. - Introduce your parents, tell your parents about________, review your work, let your parents know how they can help you!

After the conference… Reflect and gather information regarding the process from students and their parents. Which format did you prefer? What are the benefits of student led conferences? What are the disadvantages or student led conferences? What more would you like to learn in the conference?

A Great Opportunity… Frequent communication between families and schools is one of the keys to student success. Research shows that when families and schools work together and focus on student learning, children benefit in many ways. They earn higher grades and better attendance records. More of them graduate from high school, attend college, or enroll in continuing education and training. The Parent– Teacher Conference is a special opportunity for families to talk with the teacher about their child’s individual progress.