View an Example. Women's History Month is not just a great opportunity to teach students about the important female figures from history Hosting a Successful Open House The Universal After-School Question Expert Opinion Here's a nifty idea I always share w Classroom Organization Tips from Veteran Teachers. Take time to ask your teacher what skills your child will be learning this school yearincluding ones they havent started yet. You may look forward to conferences, or you may dwell on them, but the reality is that they are not going away so you may as well be prepared! Parent-teacher (and maybe student) conferences are just another part of a highly versatile and demanding job. 0000007925 00000 n https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/, What do Swedish People Look Like? Parent-Teacher Conference Scenarios by krcteacher - Flipsnack Parent-Teacher Conference Scenarios krcteacher Published on January 10, 2017 Here are I proposed a scenario-based e-learning solution to let teachers practice conducting a one-on-one parent-teacher conference in a risk-free environment. This project will help teachers gain confidence and skills when communicating students struggles and discuss solutions with parents professionally and effectively. . What are some tools we can use at home to help my child grow in his understanding of the basic math concepts you are teaching in your class? What do you do to create psychological safety so kids know they can come to talk to you about problems? I would like to be more involved in school events. Parent-teacher conferences need not be intimidating. [5] Students need you both in order to be their best at school. Students focus on the glows and grows of their academic quarter or year. But that is not a productive solution. 2023 SignUpGenius, Inc. All Rights Reserved. So get to know your language. 0000091428 00000 n Remember when I said you and the teacher are two parts of the same team? It's important to remember that not all teachers are at the same level of comfort with giving over this time to the students. 0000007454 00000 n As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All the team members need to push in the right direction, provide support, care and a united approach. I tried my best to schedule one such happy conference per quarter so a total of four positive check-ins a year. Instead, conduct your conferences at a table. WebPosted by Julie David. But by respecting their opportunity to voice their concerns, youre tearing down barriers and demonstrating that youre open to hearing them out. Use specific examples when discussing the child's growth and progress. Address: 4246 Riverboat Rd, Taylorsville, UT 84123. More often than not, I found that the student was harder on themselves than I would have been. However, here's something important to remembermost parents are just as nervous as you are. Start and End the Conference with the Positive. You can follow-up with your child on something that you and the teacher have agreed to implement. 15 Student Engagement Strategies to Increase Learning, Positive Parenting Quotes for Raising Happy Children. Edutopia and Lucas Education Research are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. Dont you? Then tackle any more difficult or challenging conversations (if applicable), and end on a positive note. 0000009949 00000 n This is a life saver. Is my child at a point where you would suggest additional help such as a tutor or enrichment at home? 1. Its simple, really: You grab a co-worker, spouse, or friend for a risk-free activity that will get you thinking about all the possibilities you could encounter during a parent-teacher conference. Does my child have too many extracurricular activities from your vantage point? If you storm into the classroom making demands and piling up the complaints, youre doing it wrong. In addition to preparing their binders or folders, students spend the weeks before conferences talking about how to present and lead the conversation with their parents. An especially effective approach is the sandwich method. Its where educators and education There were only a handful of these parents within my entire 12+ years of teaching, but I did have to shut down a few of these conferences. Your email address will not be published. Scenario: The parent has initiated the conference over a concern about 3 year old Maggie Mae. My first parent-teacher conference was SCARY. It helps eliminate emails and questions with the easy to use website. But if you do have time, consider helping with school events or other aspects of the school community. We spent a lot of time as a professional community discussing ways student-led conferences could work, and then found whatever format was best for us as teachers and also our students.". What do you suggest we do if we are at home and my student gets stuck on homework? 0000008403 00000 n Contact us atinfo@theushca.org. All rights reserved. What can I do at home to keep academic and behavior expectations on track? What behavior modifications can we make at home to reinforce expectations at school? SignUpGenius is an easy way for me to communicate with parents about events happening in my classroom. I like to jot down small reminders of anecdotes about each child that I can refer to in the conference. In this article, I want to give some bits of advice on how to prepare for a parent-teacher conference. But evidence suggests that it can be incredibly powerful to include kids in the process as well. This goes back to being a listener and opening the floor for respectful dialogue. Effective use of diplomatic language can diffuse a situation and show parents that you want whats best for their child, too. Web5. For example, one of them involved a parent who was angry over their kids grades. How can I encourage them to be more organized without doing it for them? Sure, you want to tell some parents to get their act together. Held every year by the nonprofit Common Sense. What is your policy on late homework and make-up work? What are some modifications you might make if you saw a child struggling with your area of expertise? You'll find excellent advice to help you prepare for these meetings. 36 Learning Game Ideas from Genius Teachers. As they piloted the change, these teachers saw a big difference in the levels of engagement for both parents and students. What do you think is one area we could encourage at home to improve my child's social skills? What subject area still needs more progress? But you can learn to rock them out with preparation, experience, and confidence. Your teacher will happily do that. A child needs a team behind them. VERY simple video appropriate for lower levels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqYpgy7n9vI, We Are New York episode about helping students to stay in school. http://www.nyc.gov/html/weareny/html/episodes/stay_in_school.shtml, http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/Parent-Teacher-ConferenceTipSheet-100610.pdf, http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/va01000586/centricity/domain/74/reepcurriculum/FamilyLiteracy/FL_lesson_plans/PT_Conferences_Lesson/PT_Conference_Lesson_Plan.htm, https://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=8720213, conference.http://www.laguardia.edu/immigrantparents/E_vocabulary_parents_teacher_conferences.html, wcpss.net/downloads/parent_teacher_conference_new.pptx, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AaBgQjDwEg, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqYpgy7n9vI, http://www.nyc.gov/html/weareny/html/episodes/stay_in_school.shtml, Teach-nology Printable Worksheets & Make Your Own, Using Apps, ESL Blogs and other Technology in the ESL classroom-2014, Laurel Pollards Zero Prep 2012, Updated Information For Refugee Students on Central Blog, Check out the new Digital Literacy Guide Link, Preparing for a parent/teacher conference, including a lesson plan, A listening activity about parent/teacher conferences, Vocabulary used in parent/teacher conferences, Suggestions from WCPSS on successful conferences, A video showing a short parent/teacher conference (good for lower level classes-very simple), Show a video and discuss it with the class, Introduce new vocabulary and practice using it inmultiple ways, Work with students (the parents) to prepare for the conference (apsva.us has some great materials, just click on the link under the Preparing for a parent/teacher conference by scrolling up the page). Ask your childs teacher what their strongest and weaker areas are, along with what progress the teacher has noticed this year.[1]. Even if I did not agree with a couple of things they said, I would at least throw in some mhms and nod and listen. It includes information for both educators and parents. Teachers have depth of professional knowledge and skills to be drawn upon. 1) Detailed worksheet with a student-led script to allow students to prepare for their student-led conferences. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. Here are three parent-teacher conference scenarios and how to approach them. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. 0000003654 00000 n "This year, I had every parent and student show up for conferences," Melidis recalls. A follow-up conference might be beneficial. Can you suggest any resources? But it also has a practical purpose. http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/Parent-Teacher-ConferenceTipSheet-100610.pdf, Preparing for a parent/teacher conference. This is a wonderful site with anactual lesson plan for ESL teachersand activities for students to learn and practice the English needed for a parent/teacher conference.http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/va01000586/centricity/domain/74/reepcurriculum/FamilyLiteracy/FL_lesson_plans/PT_Conferences_Lesson/PT_Conference_Lesson_Plan.htm, ESL Pod Listening Activity about a parent/teacher conference. https://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=8720213, Vocabulary for a parent/teacher conference.http://www.laguardia.edu/immigrantparents/E_vocabulary_parents_teacher_conferences.html, Parent Teacher Conference Tips suggestions from WCPSS. 2. Have a good night. Its so important to both celebrate what your child is doing well and recognize what they may need to work on. They may be held because of an incident. Ask questions. What would your teachers like to see? Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on October 23, 2022 by Chris Drew, PhD. Clarify ahead of time who, exactly, will be attending each conference. exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom. Name the top five skills you hope children will walk away with this year. Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to know what to talk about at parent-teacher conferences. Some diplomatic phrases have stuck with me. I wish I could have done more, but I was unfortunately quite busy. Parent-Teacher Communication Advice from Veteran TeachersParents will be much more supportive of you and helpful discipl Parent-Teacher Conferences: Five Important Questions. The parents, like you, want the child to be happy and successful. Many members of the parent-teacher team clash. Schedule parent teacher conferences with a sign up. Then, each parent wants their childs teacher to truly enjoy their child. "Typically, what we do is we get with a buddy, and they can read to their friend," Melidis says. This doesn't always happen easily, but this is where teacher/student reflection and conversation come in.". When you have a parent saying things that you disagree with, it can be tough to resist assuming a defensive tone, but do try to be mindful of your language. What are your suggestions for limiting online time and social media for this age? This is from Harvard Family Research Project. There are some good resources on the web to assist us and our students with this quest. 3. 0000012009 00000 n SignUpGenius makes school organizing easy. Remember that you and the teacher both have the same goal: your students success in the classroom. And the shy ones are able to practice with people and feel prepared and then feel confident. How does that influence grades? He is very attuned to adult conversation and this way, there would How can I help them be developed at home? WebA parent teacher conference form is a handy aide when you are about to host a conference in your school with the parents of your students. Students know that it's OK if they don't get through everything, and teachers know that the conversation doesn't have to end after ten minutes. Write a mock parent-teacher Yes, there are so many scenarios and unknown variables when it comes to parent-teacher conferences that it can be overwhelming to even think about. Pick out a piece of work that you think sums up the childs personality. But, I always like to show I have positive regard for each student. After you, another ", Not only does investing time in conference prep ensure a successfully led conference, it also encourages student and parent attendance. Teachers who have been around a while will be more than willing to share some memorable stories about strange parents and even stranger conversations with those parents. I want to share with you something lovely your daughter did for her friends last week. What can I do? Motivate your students with storytelling. Kindergarten teachers, keep all your parent teacher meetings organized with a sign up. Do you notice any difficulties my child is having socially at school? Sample Questions for Student-Led Conferences (TheCornerstoneForTeachers.com), Sample Outline for Second-Grade Student-Led Conference (Wildwood World Magnet School), A Guide to Implementing Student-Led Conferences in Your School (National Association of Secondary School Principals), Reflections for Student-Led Conferences (Wildwood World Magnet School), Student-Led Conference Worksheet (Wildwood World Magnet School), Student Portfolio Manual (Wildwood World Magnet School). You should think about three stages: before, during, and after. The students prepare some kind of presentation, which differs by grade and is scaffolded to their skill level. What are some ways I can enrich my childs learning experience in your subject area (or overall) at home? Our Mission:To drive the development of exceptional workforce quality in public school districts by supporting and aligning best practices in the human capital environment in schools, districts, and states. Can you suggest tools to use at home as I help my child be successful in your classroom? Nevertheless, parent-teacher conferences are a wonderful opportunity to extend lines of communication between home and school, keep parents informed about their children's progressboth academic and socialand for developing cooperative strategies that can ultimately benefit every student. What subject area is emerging as my childs strongest this year? Theres no better way to do this than to tell them stories about their child in the classroom. This happened after I listened to the parent to speak, but they didnt let me get a word in, or they invaded my space, or struggled to control their volume level. This respectfully demonstrates that youve heard exactly what they were saying but that youd also like to keep the conversation on track. We'll help you with any burning questions you have, Learn from real teachers and administrators using Classcraft, Or perhaps its just for a routine check-in. You need to be able to pivot to any curriculum area and talk about the childs ability in that area immediately. All the advice on this site is general in nature. How do I know if he/she is overbooked? What areas can they work on? After discussing your childs progress and where they could use support, come up with a plan together to help your child continue to learn and improve. How are my students organization and social skills? A parent-teacher conference is a face-to-face meeting between one teacher and one or both parents (or guardians) of a student. Help your students to stay on track with this collection of student success accountability plans. 0000054861 00000 n "We started slow with student-led conferences," says eighth-grade teacher Brigid Jennings. The scenarios and case studies in this section can be used for small group meetings, professional development, or to help start a new conversation in your district. Helping the students feel secure in talking about their learning makes their limited presentation time go much more smoothly, Wildwood teachers say. I mean, let's face it -- no parent wants to let his or her own child down.". Or perhaps its just for a routine check-in, grade, or fill in the blank. Parents who expect you to do a presentation. You may not agree with them, sure, but at least you understood them. 0000019816 00000 n (Perhaps you could show some anonymous student work thats A quality for comparison). These questions are good starting points as you and your childs educator work together to help your child succeed this school year. This safe space prepares you for a parent-teacher conference before the real thing; that way, youre not going in completely unprepared. What can I do to support you and make your job easier as we work as a team for my childs growth this year? WebAllow them 2-4 minutes for each scenario. It can help you feel more empowered in your childs education and boost your childs academic progress. You probably dont wing lessons, right? By showing personal interest in the student and telling stories about them, youre showing the parents that you genuinely care about their child and have strong rapport with them. Because your childs teacher is more familiar with educational terminology, their comments during the parent-teacher conference may include words that you are not familiar with. And they all seemed so scary to me. .c0?F+evzQEv49/zirAu] X?lee6 @ Q|Nv$n&0d5J0yvyuPKc!hAQXqf=ogd4h_ucibMkN6CIW M-?u[R?l&YveOPjtp{i:mJ6M@&FxD#@%(w-F0Ij6h~. These conferences initiate communication between parents, students, and teachers and provide feedback that kids need. For instance, the eighth grade classes prepare binders with their work and reflection sheets, while younger grades may prepare a poster board or packet to show their parents. And lastly (from a teachers perspective! Invite parents to bring a list of questions, issues, or concerns. They are the students carers and have their own culture, values, and beliefs that must be respected. Education strategist Monica Martinez examines these benefits in her co-authored book of case studies titled Deeper Learning: How Eight Innovative Public Schools Are Transforming Education in the 21st Century. While you will realistically only have time for a few questions, this list of 50 is a great resource to help you build understanding and communication with your childs teacher. (For examples and more information on portfolios, see the Resources section at the bottom of the article.) Teachers, remember: most parents want to know their child is happy, safe, and enjoying their education. "They're giving each other feedback on their paper, so it's really an authentic way to design and conduct a student conference. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. If parents want more time, I ask them if we can arrange a second meeting. A conference is part of the job that you might not want to wing either. Not everyone has the time to be an active part of classroom eventsand thats okay! After the conference, parents can take the prepared handouts with them. But if you have a clash, approach it as a hurdle to be overcome together. First, each parents wants better for their child than they had. We start prepping about a week before conferencing, and we practice 10-15 minutes per day. Is it the child's biological parents, a relative, a guardian, a grandparent, a foster parent, or who? Parent teacher conferences are a brief but valuable window into the world of your child. Review notes on each student's behavior, academic progress, and interactions with peers. wcpss.net/downloads/parent_teacher_conference_new.pptx, Video from WCPSS about parent/teacher conferences. The scenarios and case studies in this section can be used for small group meetings, Still, those special conferences put a smile on my face, too, and I never had to worry about calling a timeout during that kind of stress-free get-together. "When we begin to prepare for student-led conferences," says Jennings, "I have a conversation with students around what they feel should be included in their binders. Make Allies. A parent-teacher conference is a face-to-face meeting between one teacher and one or both parents (or guardians) of a student. WebShow a portfolio of the child's work (drawings, stories, essays, homework assignments) and share your observations of the child's actions, reactions, and interactions. The parents can access my event and sign up for time slots or materials needed with just a click of a button. We use performance cookies to understand how you interact with our site.They help us understand what content is most valued and how visitors move around the site, helping us improve the service we offer you. 0000031408 00000 n Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. Case study exploring recruitment and retention of a high-quality and diverse workforce. Overall, s/he has a great outlook toward learning. A thankful, kind comment will go a long, long way for helping your relationship with your childs teacher. Parent teacher conferences at Wildwood Elementary are actually a time when the teachers do very little talking. Because of this benefit, many more schools are making it mandatory to integrate students in the process. Scenario focused on the relationship between an HR office and a state university education department, Scenario on differentiated support to high needs schools, Scenario to focus on new teacher experience, Scenario to focus on candidate experience, Scenario on benefits of being a principal in a high needs school, Scenario focused on the internal working of a team, Scenario exploring the role of HR Partner and Principal in retention, Scenario focused on retaining high performing teachers, Scenario on moving to the next level in planning around retention, Scenarios exploring the way principals need to analyze data and make HR decisions, Scenario exploring role of principal as HC manager, Scenario exploring performance management, retention, and the HR Partner role, Scenario to start a discussion on how to improve HC teams performance in teacher pipeline, principal quality , and team service. "It's not a 'got ya,' and their very best strengths are the highlight of the conference.". You should aim to show that you have heard the parents and will act on their concerns. Join thousands of teachers and get access to 20,000+ resources, Parent-Teacher Conferences: Before, During, and After, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Another one was with a parent who accused the teacher of deception. It also shows the parents that Im not just picking at the negatives. Parent-teacher conferences don't need to be scary. Use them to get to know each other and work together to meet a common goal of helping a student learn. How to Prepare for a Parent-Teacher Conference (2022) Parent-teacher conferences don't need to be scary. I know this feels obvious, but I know at times Ive felt under pressure After you, another parent wants her one-to-one time with the teacher. 5. What have you observed, both negative and positive, in regards to my childs response to classroom behavior expectations? Personally, Ive made every effort to include students in parent-teacher conferences because it gives them ownership and a voice. Talk to your childs teacher about ways to get involved. The child takes part in all extracurricular activities and bonds well with peers and respects the teachers. Additionally, including a student in the dialogue is beneficial when you need to address a behavioral problem. View an Example, Keep track of meetings for multiple grades and teachers with a tabbed sign up. "Conference time was not taken as seriously before, but now the school is full and lively on conference night. Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. And if they continue, stop and kindly repeat your request for them to reschedule. Parent-teacher conferences can be nerve-wracking for parents, as much as it can be for us. Youve come to the right place! What will have the biggest impact on my students grade in your class? If you arent calling for a parent teacher conference until the 4th marking period but the student has been failing since the beginning of the school year, its not going to be a smooth meeting. Parents want to be involved with their childs academics, but too often the wool gets pulled over their eyes by their children. This year, its from October 17th to the 21st! Our Vision: There will be a high-quality teacher in every classroom and a high-quality principal in every school, because the best people will drive the best results for students. What educational skills will my child be learning in class this year? The range of parent expectations varies- a lot. How can I encourage age-appropriate accountability at home to support what you are doing in class? Once youve made a plan, make sure to check in regularly with their teacher to discuss your childs growth and where they continue to struggle. Some teachers set loose guidelines about what must go into the binder or folder, but the students are given a lot of freedom over what to include. An introduction: State the goal and purpose for the parent-teacher conference. Keep in mind that parent-teacher conferences should be candid conversations, not interrogations. Productive and successful conferences take careful planning. What do you see happening? "Each subject area must be included, and the reflection pieces also must be included. Parents, volunteer for the classroom snack schedule with a sign up. I noticed my child is struggling with ___. There might be issues like behavior problems, bullying concerns, or frequent absences that need serious discussion. "They can start two weeks prior to the conferences and practice for the first five minutes of class, or they can tie it into their daily journal, daily goal setting, reflection time, they can make it their exit ticket, etc. You can create one as well really easily. The teachers also liked the new model better, saying that it felt less like they were defending the grades they gave students and more like a conversation about the students' learning. In it, Martinez argues that student-led conferences motivate students and engage them in the learning process. But all students keep and manage a portfolio of their own work. Speaking of being prepared, one of the most useful preparation activities that I learned in my teaching graduate program at the University of Vermont was role-playing. Always start and leave with good stuff. Have a specific flow in mind when conducting your parent-teacher conferences. We use essential cookies to make our site work for you. Invite parents to bring a list of questions, issues, or concerns. Have sample textbooks readily available. Establish a waiting area outside your classroom. For reasons of confidentiality, you only want to meet with one set of parents at a time. Don't conduct a parent-teacher conference from behind your desk. WebIn an effort to assist healthcare organizations in developing and enhancing their pediatric mock code programs, Illinois EMSC has developed the following resources that are Let them know whether email, texts, or another communication method works best for you for updates or reminders. How are those handled? Use some of the tactics above, and many of those meetups will fall right into place. Having a feel-good conference can make a significant impact on a student whos doing everything they should be doing trying their best and earning high marks but who may not be receiving the feedback or encouragement that they need for growth. Each conference lasts ten minutes, due to the number of families that teachers have to see. How can I help my child be more organized with homework without completely taking over? Waterford.org is a 501(c)(3)organization, and gifts aretax deductible as allowed by law. 0000001176 00000 n You could join your schools parent-teacher organization, for example, or volunteer in your childs classroom. Are there field trips and is there a cost to the families? Want more information? Parents are given the option of taking the students' presentation binder or folder home for the night to continue reviewing and discussing the work. 0000001568 00000 n In the classroom? If you dont have physical examples, make sure you have a few ideas on what to say about each area of the childs learning. When it is time to start prepping for conferences, students can then go to that portfolio and choose what they want to include in the conference binders or folders to show their parents.
