Do your teachers have what they need to facilitate successful parent-teacher conferences?

 

Do all your teachers - even the new ones - understand your expectations for parent-teacher conferences?  Paint a picture of a successful parent-teacher conference for each teacher and make sure they feel able to produce that for each family.

 

Your vision probably includes a pre-conference worksheet for families, a developmental assessment of some sort, a collection of work samples and a conversation outline for each family.  That takes time to prepare.  How are you providing the time each teaching team needs to pull together all of the elements that will result in high quality parent-teacher conferences?

 

Have your teachers conducted conferences before?  Do they feel nervous?  Offer to role play with them - especially if they are raising a concern with a parent or expect they might hear concerns from the family.

 

Check in with each teaching team on each child and preview the highlights of what will be covered.  You especially want to be aware of any sensitive issues or concerns.  Make sure your teachers are prepared to have a conversation that you can support - even if the parents take exception.

 

With teachers, plan a comfortable and non-threatening place for the conference conversation to take place.  Also, arrange a 'waiting area' for the next family on the list.  If you put out a bowl of fruit, small water bottles, a classroom picture album and work samples, you'll find that families walk into the conference feeling welcome and supported.

 

Visit each teaching team after the conferences and find out how it went.  Ask what went well, what could have been better and what surprised them.  Especially ask how you can help them use what they learned to enhance their work with children.  Consider sending out a short survey monkey to confirm this was a positive experience for families.

 

The quality of parent-teacher relationships impact children's development directly.  Your attention to parent-teacher conferences can make sure that connection is strong and positive.