lae.org Instructional Advocacy New Teacher Guide

Parent Conference Tips

1. Contact parents early in the year. Outline your curriculum and expectations and let parents know how they can reach you.
2. Invite both parents. But, be sure to find out first if a student comes from a single-parent home and if both parents should be invited; or if the appropriate guardian is someone other than a parent.
3. Prepare in advance to answer specific questions parents may have about their child’s ability, skill levels and achievements.
4. Get organized before the conference. Assemble your grade book, test scores, student work samples and attendance records.
5. Greet parents at the door. Also, you’ll help parents feel welcome and relieve their anxiety if you greet them by name. Check records in advance to make sure you have parents’ (or step parents’ or guardians’) names correct.
6. Open on a positive note. Begin conferences on a warm, positive note to relax everyone. Start with a positive statement about the child’s abilities, school work or interests. Show some of the child’s work, and familiarize parents with class expectations.
7. Allow enough time in the conference. If you are scheduling back-to-back conferences, give yourself a short breather in between, if at all possible.
8. Avoid physical barriers. Don’t sit behind your desk or ask parents to perch on uncomfortable chairs.
9. Be specific in your comments and suggest course of action.
10. Forget the jargon. Try not to use “edubabble” because it sounds like doubletalk to most parents.
11. Ask for parents’ opinions. Hear them out, even if the comments are hostile or negative.
12. Be clear if there are concrete steps for follow-up – required phone contact, interim progress reports, etc

When conferring with a parent

Parents care deeply about their children and how they’re doing in school, and most parents are reasonable, respectful, and cooperative when dealing with teachers.

1. However, when problems arise, there are some basic guidelines to follow. Try not to be defensive.
2. You share a common goal with parents: to help their children succeed in school. Try to approach every conversation with that in mind.
3. Unreasonable requests. If a parent makes one of you, respond in a friendly, firm manner and try to work it out. For example, a parent wanting you to call every night to report on a child’s performance can be told: “I’m sure you understand I have 90 students, and am not able to call you every night. However, I have a suggestion....” Or, if a parent shows up at the door of your classroom, politely explain that you can’t talk right now, and suggest he/she call back after classes and make an appointment.
4. Protect yourself by keeping a log of all parent contacts (phone calls, visits, letters, etc.), noting date, time, place, and what was discussed. Keep copies of all documents. If a parent complains to you, consider going to a colleague, your association representative, or your principal and tell them about the complaint.
5. Maintain confidentiality by not talking about other students to any parent, and discourage parents from doing so as well. Never mention other student’s names, or even their child’s social group. Talk about their child, and their child’s behavior only