Five Steps for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

We hosted our open house last week and are now gearing up for parent-teacher conferences. Parent-teacher conferences offer educators and parents a beautiful opportunity to collaborate. Yet, for many educators, this can be a time of high stress and anxiety. To help you prepare and make the most of these valuable meetings, we are sharing these 5 essential steps.

1. Preparation

The foundation of a successful parent-teacher conference lies in preparation. From sending welcoming notices to gathering valuable data on your students. It is very important to enter the conference with a clear understanding of each child's strengths. You want to also be prepared to share your students' areas of growth.

2. Welcoming Space

Setting the right tone is key. Begin the conference by extending a warm welcome to parents/caretaker. Let them know how much you appreciate them for taking the time to meet. Start by asking them to share any wonderings or specific questions that they have brought with them.

3. Focus on Strengths

Highlighting your students' strengths is super important before addressing their areas of growth. Start the conference by celebrating positive accomplishments. I like to pre-select a small collection of students' work samples to share with their parents/caregivers.

4. Share Data-Driven Insights

Complete your assessments prior to the conference. For example, letter and letter sound assessments. They will help you present clear, data-driven information. Use this as an opportunity to share some strategies that families can do at home to support and/or extend their child's learning.

5. Collaborative Goals

Invite parents/care giver to join you in creating goals for their child. I like to propose a social goal and an academic goal.

If you are looking for more support and printable resources, our Parent-Teacher Conference toolkit will equip you with all you need for a successful conference.

Happy Teaching!

TP@Sparking Creativity