Education, Parenting, and Homeschooling

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How Teachers Can Plan For An Effective Parent-Teacher Conference

by James Brauer

Parent-teacher conferences are perhaps the most anticipated school functions that occurs each year.

Unfortunately for many, these conferences are not always pleasurable for the parents, teachers, student, and/or all of the previously mentioned.  But parent-teacher conferences don't have to be a negative experience.  Instead, with proper planning and preparation by teachers, these conferences can become the start of a highly-effective partnership between a child's family and school.

Teachers should note, there are some extremely important bits of information that should be considered prior to the parent-teacher conference.

The following is a list of considerations for all teachers:

* Send a personalized letter to every parent/guardian to schedule the actual day, time, and location of the conference. Be sure to send this letter well in advance of the conference date(s) and be sure to explain the importance of attending.  Be advised, there is a good chance that the parents/guardians may have more than one student attending the school, therefore they will need enough time to meet with each of their teachers.

* Do your homework in advance and determine if any parents do not speak English as their primary language.  If so, be prepared to make arrangements so that non-English speaking, or non-English proficient, parents can still participate in parent-teacher conferences. 

* Know in advance what two or three topics you wish to address with the parents/guardians.  Any more than two or three concerns and you may begin to create a negative atmosphere with the parents/guardians.  Remember, we want to build a partnership with the student's families and not cause a negative experience with them.

* Encourage parents/guardians to come to the parent-teacher conference with a list of their own questions or concerns. This will help the parent/guardian feel as though you do value their input and feedback. 

* Never, never, never allow yourself to complete a parent-teacher conference from behind your desk. This is a very bad idea.  Rather than being seated at your own desk, try sitting on the same side of a table as the child's family, or sit directly next to them.  There are a great many that remember the teacher's desk being a "power desk" and raises bad memories.  You can prevent this by setting up your classroom furniture in advance of the conference, striving to create a warm, friendly, and respectful environment.

Lastly, there are a few different topics that should never be discussed during parent-teacher conferences. 

Teachers should definitely avoid:

* Comparing one student to another

* Speaking poorly about teachers in other classes and/or principals and other school administrators

* Problems that occur within the child's home

* Question if the parents/guardians are at fault for the student's problems

* Quarrel with a parent/guardian

If teachers carefully plan out their conferences, and use a few strategies mentioned in this article, there is a greater possibility that the outcome of the conference will be quite positive for everybody.  Remember the ultimate goal--a strong and meaningful relationship and partnership with the school and families.  Once this occurs, there is a greater chance true success will result for the student--academic and social.

For more information about how teachers and parents can build lasting relationships, visit http://JamesBrauer.com.

Learn more about (http://JamesBrauer.com) parent-teacher conferences.  Stop by James Brauer's store where you can find great educational products for teachers, parents, and students at (http://k12cornerstones.com/category/store/) K12 Cornerstones.

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