Ideas for Managing Parent Conferences

by Joe A. Martin Jr., Ed.D.

The very phrase “Parent Conferences” conjures up fear and angst in almost all teachers. But why? Are we afraid of being in a position of authority? Do we question are role as the experts in this situation? Do we immediately assume that parents will question our analyses and opinions of their children?

The best advice I can give for parent conferences is preparation. It is necessary to prepare in all the following areas:

• Know each of your students (their personalities, learning styles, friends, mannerisms, study habits, etc.)

• Know the order of parents coming in to see you (don’t be caught off-guard in an “I wasn’t expecting you right now” kind of way)

• Have examples of student work to show each parent (samples can help prove your point about lack of effort and not following directions, but can also help you praise and applaud effort and presentation)

• Plan out ways of talking to parents of difficult or struggling students (use appropriate lingo: if you want to say the student isn’t trying, perhaps it’s better to say that you are convinced the child is not working to his or her highest potential)

...continued

Another great piece of advice for conferences is to be professional. Meet the parent at the door with a handshake and introduction, if you’ve never met them before. Have a desk or table set up for the meeting, with appropriate seating (you could have parents show up with new spouses or partners, or little kids for that matter). Have paperwork in front of you, be it a checklist or rubric or syllabus for the class. Use it as a roadmap for the conversation (but make sure that you already showed it to your administrator, so you don’t ruffle any feathers). Initiate the conference by asking if the parents have any specific questions or concerns. Let them know that there is a time restriction on the conversation, but should they have further issues to discuss, you would be happy to schedule a follow-up meeting.

Hopefully, parents will be respectful of you, but if you happen to get insulted or verbally attacked, make sure to end the conversation promptly and lead the parents to the door. You want to end that confrontation as soon as possible and alert a nearby teacher or administrator.

Similarly, you need to be respectful of the parents. If there are things the child or the parents are doing (homework, signing off on permission slips, reading classroom newsletters), you can bring up those issues, but do so with a pleasant tone. Do not be condescending or accusatory, but suggestive instead. You can say, “I’m not sure if you had a chance to read my most recent classroom newsletter, but in it I mentioned some exciting upcoming projects we’ll be doing.” See where a line like that takes the conversation.

If you expect to have a lot of meetings scheduled, you might want to leave some chairs and reading material out in the hallway. If you made any class books, or if the students “published” any of their writing, leave it on a table in the hallway. Display art or science projects, have a bulletin board to occupy attention, anything you can do to engage the parents while they are waiting. In addition, it’s likely that they’ll enter your room commenting on what they saw outside.

Some schools allow or even encourage students to be a part of the conference. If your school has no set policy, then go with what works for you. If you think your students would benefit from participating, then request that they attend. You are the expert here – think like one and act like one, and the parents may just start treating you like one.

Getting Help As a Teacher

Don't Let Stress Get the Best of You

Home | Products | Workshops | Teacher's Lounge | Ask Professor Joe
Resource Links | Teacher Articles | Affiliate Program

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

.