School has started and parent conferences are just
around the corner. I wanted to
share a few tips to make this a more meaningful experience for you as well as
for your families.
Sit
beside the parent at a table, rather than behind a desk.
Keep
the conversation focused on the child.
Have
samples of the child’s work to share with the parents. Focus on the total child, including
intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development.
If
there is a problem, brainstorm solutions and develop a plan for action.
End
the conference on a positive note by reassuring the parents and thanking them
for their support.
Provide
an interpreter for parents who do not speak English.
Follow-up
with the parents after the conference.
Below is a questionnaire that I used to help parents
share information about their child and to guide the conference. I asked the children, “Would you like
me to give your parents some homework?
Well, here is something they need to fill out and bring to our conference
next week.”
Note! If
parents show up without the form, simply smile and say, “I’ll give you a few minutes
to fill this out before we get started.”
CONFERENCE QUESTIONNAIRE
Please fill out this form
and bring it to your conference on __________________at _________________.
Child’s
name__________________________
1. My child’s favorite activity at school is________________
__________________________________________________________.
__________________________________________________________.
2. My child expresses concern about_____________________
___________________________________________________________.
___________________________________________________________.
3. My child’s strong qualities are__________________________
___________________________________________________________.
4. Areas I feel my child needs to work on are_____________
___________________________________________________________.
- Something I would like to see my child do at
school is _______
_____________________________________________________.
6. Is there any special information about
your child that you think we should know about?________________________________________________
Cheers and Goals
Here’s another idea for
conference time. Ask parents to
write down three things positive (cheers) about their child and three goals
that they have for their child. This
will give the teacher insight as to what is important to parents. It will also provide the teacher with
the opportunity to say, “This is what I can do at school to help your child
accomplish these goals. What can
you do to help at home?”