Tips for Successful Parent Conferences

Here are some tips to help make all your parent conferences productive and successful:

Make contact early.
You’ll get your relationship with parents off to a good start if you contact them early in the year, perhaps with a memo or newsletter sent home.



Allow enough time.
Schedule plenty of time for the meeting. Twenty to thirty minutes is usually adequate.



Be ready for questions.
Be prepared to answer specific questions parents may have. They’ll likely to ask questions such as: What is my child’s ability level? Is my child working up to his or her ability level?



Get your papers organized in advance.
Assemble your grade book, test papers, samples of the student’s work, attendance records and other pertinent data ahead of time.



Plan ahead.
Have in mind a general – but flexible – outline of what you’re going to say, including a survey of student progress, a review of his or her strengths and needs, and proposed plan of action.



Avoid physical barriers.
Don’t sit behind your larger desk while forcing parents to squeeze into the children’s desk on the front row or perch miserably on folding chairs. Arrange conference-table seating if possible so you’ll be equals.



Open on a positive note.
Begin conferences on a warm, positive note to get everyone relaxed. Start with a positive statement about the child’s abilities or work or interests.



Be specific in your comments.
Instead of saying, "She doesn’t accept responsibility," pin down the problem by pointing out, "Amanda had a whole week to finish up her book report, but she wrote only two paragraphs."



Forget the jargon.
Education jargon phrases like "criterion-referenced testing," "perceptual skills" and "least restrictive environment" may be confusing to parents.



Focus on strength.
It’s very easy for parents to feel defensive, since many see themselves in their children. You’ll help if you review the child’s strengths and areas of need, rather than dwelling on criticism or stressing weakness.



Stress collaboration.
Let the parent know you want to work together in the best interest of the child. A statement like "I’d like to discuss with you how we might work together to improve Johnny’s study habits" gets the relationship off on the right foot.



Focus on solutions.
Many conferences are held because there’s a problem somewhere. Things will go more smoothly if you’ll focus on solutions rather than on the child’s problem. Discuss what you and the parents can do to help improve the situation.



Don’t judge.
It may not always be possible to react neutrally to what parents say. Their values may be different from you own. However, communicating your judgment of parents’ attitudes or behaviors can be a roadblock to a productive relationship with them.



Summarize.
Before the conference ends, summarize the discussion and what actions you and the parents have decided to take.



Wind up on a positive not.
When you can, save at least one encouraging comment or positive statement about the student for the end of the conference.



Keep a record of the conference.
You may find it helpful later to have a brief record of what was said at the conference, what suggestions for improvement were made and so forth. Make notes as soon as possible after the conference, while the details are fresh.



Bring an alli.
Include a supportive administrator in any meeting that you feel may turn out to be hostile. Parents have a right to know about their child’s educational program, but they have no right to be abusive or threatening toward any teacher.



Listen before you speak.
You may save yourself and the parents a great deal of time by allowing them to present their concerns before you begin addressing the concerns that you believe they have.