Parents + Teachers = Educational Partners

By. Teresa Marchant

Parent Teacher Conferences are a good time to build relationships. For teachers, conferences can be a stressful time.  However, looking at them from a different perspective allows you to see the whole picture. The main goal of parent teacher conferences is to get parents into the school and build or continue to build relationships.

Parents: Conferences shouldn’t be the first or only time the parents and teachers communicate. This should be ongoing throughout the school year. The goal should always be to get 100% attendance. That means setting a schedule that works for the parents! The school or district may set this schedule in advance and they may hold one or more conferences throughout the year. For younger grades, two conferences are ideal.

What to do with a difficult parent?

• Ask for help! Principals don’t mind if you let them know ahead if you have concerns about a conference. They may “happen” to be in the hall at that time.
• Have additional support staff (specialists, intervention staff) attend the conference.
• Remember to stick to the data. 
• Don’t sit with your back to the door.

Teachers: First year teachers may become overwhelmed at the thought of conferences. Fall conferences are typically a formal introduction to your expectations. Ideally, schools would have another conference in the spring. These can be more challenging. However, if teachers and parents are having ongoing conversations, it will be easier. Topics such as the special education referral process, accommodations, or interventions should not be new or surprising information. 

Other Ideas about conferences

• Make your room inviting with seating as comfortable as possible.
• Generate data in an easy to read format for the parents.
• Showcase student work.
• Have parents write notes for their child to read the next day.
• Give parents a take-away (example: passwords to school provided resources).
• Schedule conferences to allow for breaks.
• Respect parents’ time by sticking to your schedule.

Lastly, remember to relax because Parent Teacher conferences are about relationships. As parents and teachers work together, students benefit from this educational partnership.