Parent teacher conferences are coming up and they can be a little nerve-wracking. When you share so much with your students’ parents, you never know how they’ll respond. Just remember that as long as you come across as wanting the best for their child, they’ll appreciate whatever you say. You are a team!
I like to be as organized as I can and get everything ready about a week before conferences. We have to put in grades and get report cards printed, find examples of student work and get together any other important resources for parents so this time can be pretty busy! The sooner you’re organized, the better!
Here are some tips I’ve learned that will help you during parent teacher conferences.
Format of the Parent Teacher Conference
At my school, we have 15 minutes with the parents. I like to do most of the talking for 10 minutes, then take questions and then we bring the student in to showcase some of their work!
First 10 Minutes:
- Explain Report Card
I use this time to explain the report card. This is their first report card so I explain standards based grading and what they’ll see on the report card. I also highlight a few of the standards in each subject category.
- Discuss a Few Standards
I like to highlight what we will be learning this year in kindergarten. Since this is the only face to face meeting we have with parents (unless we schedule something else) I like to explain some of the learning they’ll see within the year.
- Tell Student’s Reading Level
We use Fountas and Pinnel to assess students’ reading levels so I mention what level their child is. Most of the time, students at this point in the year are only a level AA (pre-reader) or an A. I mention where we want students at the end of kindergarten as well.
- Give Parents Resources to Help at Home
I like to print out some resources of how parents can help their child at home in reading or sight words and explain how important it is that they help their child with their learning at home so it reinforces what we do in class.
Final 5 Minutes:
- Time for Questions
I give parents time to ask any question they have that they might not want their child to hear, before the child comes in.
- Student Joins
When the student joins, he or she shows their parent a few things they are proud of. I like to have their writing folders at the table because it shows their growth from the beginning of the year. I like having students run this part because they get so excited to share with their family what they’ve done in school!
Tips to Help Parent Teacher Conferences Run Smoothly
- Make Note of Key Talking Points
It’s important to know what you are going to talk about in the conference. That’s why, I like to make note of what I want to be sure to say (both positive and negative) during the conference.
This year, I’m going to use Stephanie’s (Teaching Little Leaders) Parent Teacher Conference Forms. She includes everything you need to prep for your parent teacher conference! Check it out below.
- Keep Everything for the Conference in a File
I like to use files for each student because they’re easy to pull and keep everything safe and in one spot. When you have so many conferences, it’s best to just have to pull one file instead of a bunch of different forms or documents.
*I even like to put a post-it on the front of the folder with the child’s name and when the conference is. Then, I put them in order by day and time.
- Keep the Student Occupied
If your school is like mine and students join the conference at the end of the meeting, give them something to do while you’re meeting with their parents. I like to keep books in the hallway next to a chair so the student can sit and read.
Here are my tips and tricks for parent teacher conferences and I hope you find something that helps you out! What have you learned during your conferences? Comment below!