Get a clear plan and a checklist to confidently prepare for a successful parent teacher conference or a student-led conference,
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It seems like you just finished getting back to school and now it’s time for parent teacher conferences. On top of all the lesson planning, teacher meetings, and classroom management practice, now you need to get ready for this all important school conference.
For some, the parent teacher conference might be the first time meeting the parents of your students. A good first impression is super important here.
Don’t let it overwhelm you. With a plan and a checklist to prepare for the parent teacher conference, it will be smooth sailing for you. Or smooth windsurfing, if that’s more your thing.
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Have a Clear Plan for the Parent Teacher Conference
Ask yourself a few questions:
- Do you want to have the conferences with the students present or without? I always included students, but some teachers prefer not to do that.
- Do you want to make it a student-led conference? In upper elementary and middle school, having a student led conference can give students confidence and ownership over their performance in the class.
- Do you have a plan for parents who can’t attend in person? You may want to do a virtual meeting, or a phone meeting.
- Do you plan on providing refreshments, if your school allows it? Be mindful of potential allergies and cultural diversity. Simply having bottled water and a prepackaged snack can go a long way in providing a comfortable and welcoming environment for the parents. Remember, parents are nervous before conferences, too!
Map out your introduction, your comments, time for questions, and a closing for the meeting. Having a discussion guide or notes sheet is crucial. You can give the parents a copy and keep one for yourself. In my Teacher Planner in Sheets, you’ll find notes pages for the parent teacher conferences. If you prefer a Teacher Planner in Slides, this also has a parent conference notes page.
Prepare for the Conference Early With Student Work Portfolios
Visuals rule in today’s world. There’s nothing better to backup your conference conversation than having some student work to share.
You can set up folders for each student. One time-saving tip is to create folders with numbers instead of names. That way, you can hand the work to the parents and keep the folder in your file. Next year, you can reuse those folders again.
Save several samples of work in the folders. Be transparent with your students and let them know you’re saving some of their work to share with their parents during the conference. Ask them if they would like to include anything they’re especially proud of.
Display Student Work in the Classroom
This is important for so many reasons. One is that it gives students pride in seeing their work on display. They know you value their efforts. Have a wall or area where students can choose which work they want to display.
Having the work on display also helps parents see the type of work you’re doing. It also lets the parents know you value their children’s work.
You might want to include visuals or anchor charts on the bulletin boards. These can become talking points for discussion with parents and with students.
Have You Considered Student Led Conferences?
Student led conferences are a fantastic way to help students take ownership of their own progress and achievements. They also encourage students to reflect and evaluate, and set goals for future learning. This is a learning strategy called metacognition. You can read more on this topic in this blog post about using metacognitive strategies in your teaching.
If you’ve never had student led conferences before, here is a simple flow chart to help students prepare for the parent teacher conference, and to guide them through the conversation.
Have Documentation on Hand for Specific Concerns or Achievements
Having documentation on hand helps parents to see and understand fully what you’re discussing with them. I once had a parent who felt I was biased about a grade her son received. Thankfully, I had the assignments in his portfolio to share with them. They could see at a glance that the grades were fair.
Whether you’re giving kudos or expressing an area for growth, documentation is the best way to back up your comments. It will also bring parents to the same conclusion, so you can work together as a team to help their child.
Common Questions and Concerns Parents Have
Parents are concerned with academic performance, of course. But just as important, if not more important to them, is how their child is doing socially.
Do you have school aged children? If so, I’m sure you can relate to the feeling that you want your child to have friends, and do well socially.
Here are a few of the more common questions:
- Does my child have friends?
- Is my child getting their work done?
- Does my child work well in a team?
- Do you assign homework, and how do you grade it?
- What projects will my child need to complete?
- What topics will you be studying each month? (For this question, I typically give the parent a Year at a Glance schedule made specifically for them. You can download a free copy of it from the Member Vault.)
- Finally, later in the year, a common question is, “Will my child pass to the next grade?”
How to Keep Conferences on Schedule
Your school may provide you with flexibility in scheduling conferences. If so, make sure to include a buffer time between some of the meetings. This way, if one conference goes overtime, you’ll be able to use the buffer time to catch up and also to take your own break.
With 20 minute conferences, you might schedule a 20 minute buffer after every fourth conference.
You also might consider keeping a timer handy, or use a subtle reminder, such as a gentle alarm on your phone. This will help parents be aware of the time, too, and that others are waiting for their conferences.
Grab Your Free Parent Teacher Conference Checklist
Imagine how good it will feel to have everything organized for a smooth as silk parent teacher conference week. There’s no need to be nervous or unsure of how it will go, even if it’s your first time doing this. I have a checklist to help you prepare with confidence.
You can get this checklist for free from the Member Vault.
It includes tips so you don’t forget a thing. See how to get the portfolios ready, how to take notes to share, how to set up your conference area, and how to anticipate questions from parents.
Included in the checklist are ideas for additional things to give parents. These might include:
- Reading lists for independent reading and reading aloud at home
- Educational websites to use at home
- Ways parents can help their students at home.
These types of additional items secure your position as the educational leader you are. Since every school and every class is different, you’ll want to gather your own reading lists and website lists and other items to share with parents. The main thing is to empower the parents to help their students continue to learn every day at home.
Summary of Tips for How To Confidently Prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences
Use these tips to build parent teacher communication and good relationships all year long, including the parent teacher conferences.
- When you call a parent, have a clear objective of what you want to say.
- Always keep a student portfolio with documentation of their work.
- Hang student work in visible places around the room.
- Give parents time to ask questions, and answer them with clarity.
- Make parents feel comfortable, and empower them to help you with their child.
- Consider using the free parent teacher conference resources available to you in the Member Vault.
I hope you have a successful and productive school conference time!
