CREATING COMFORTABLE AND PRODUCTIVE PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
The creation of understanding in parent/teacher conferences ensures good communication in home-school relationship and involvement of the family concept in the classroom.
A good home-school communication will relate to do my homework for me positive outcomes both for students and their school. Parent’s engagement in the schooling life of children enables the children to be motivated in their studies leading to better grades. Parent-teacher conferences ensure follow-ups are made on the students’ progress while at the same time addressing issues that might be hindering their performance. The good relations between teachers and parents will enable sharing thus the implementation of policies in the school to ensure good performance. Below are some ideas on a productive parent-teacher relationship.
General concepts before a conference
1. Sending invitations; the teachers should pay for homework distribute information prior to the planned conferences through notes, flyers, community meetings and phone calls. The information distributed should contain time and discussion objectives for the conference and might also include alternative scheduling to give parents options.
2. Student work review; the teacher should prepare to provide information on the students, their assessments, and performance in assignments. This will enable the teacher to prompt parents to provide information about their students.
3. Preparation of materials and thoughts; create lists of trending issues affecting students for discussion during the meeting for measuring students’ growth and progress. Consider homework doer preparing student work portfolio for the parents to go through during the conference.
4. Send reminders; a week upon the scheduled date for the conference, prepare and send reminders for the date and venue of the scheduled meeting. This will also be an opportunity to provide parents with the agenda for discussion during the conference.
5. Creating a welcoming environment; ensure that the venue either conference room or classroom is comfortable for display of student worksheets prepared and if possible seating arrangements should be in circles.
Ideas during the conference
1. Discussion on progress and growth; the teachers should begin with positive comments on students’ performance, demonstrating the students’ abilities in the various subjects. Provide details about the students’ worksheet that has been prepared for the parents. Help the parents to identify students’ progress against learning objectives and provide possible solutions to issues affecting their performance.
2. Using examples; help the parents to go through the students’ assessments and performance on assignments that were prepared to demonstrate the student’s abilities and possible progress.
3. Asking questions while listening attentively; describe to the parents on the students’ possible weaknesses and strengths, styles of learning and opportunities available for the students in the non-school environment. Enquire from the parents about their aspirations for their children, their future dreams, and hopes.
4. Share ideas for supporting learning; provide possible suggestions about strategies and activities that can be implemented by parents while at home to strengthen their child’s weaknesses and improve on their strengths. This will ensure they grow in the process of learning.
5. Seek solutions collaboratively; the teacher should avoid using the term “they” but instead “we” in providing suggestion on how to solve issues affecting students by working together.
6. Formulate an action plan; allocate a few minutes for discussion on how both the parent and the teacher can provide support to the students. Provide specifics about ways of implementing ideas, the period of time it will take and communication on the progress attained.
7. Establish communication lines; make a clear description for modes of communication that are the most appropriate and comfortable for the parents to be reached and also in contacting the school. Provide a schedule for follow up on the progress for the next conference.
After the conference
1. Make follow up with parents; when possible contact parents and appreciate their attendance. Provide them with platforms to inquire about their students and provide useful materials available to aid in learning at home while the students will go for holidays. The teacher should also contact parents who did not attend and inquire about alternative ways to communicate concerning their child.
2. Communicate on a regular basis; the teacher should regularly communicate with parents on the positive achievements in the process of developing student progress as well as addressing their challenges.
3. In-class activities connection; creation of response to instructions on practices of learned activities such as family cultures, student strengths, their needs and home learning environment.
Parent’s engagement in the conference
The parents are attending the conference so that they may be updated on their student’s progress and performance. They should wait upon the teachers to guide them through the student’s worksheet.
Expectations
1. As two way conversation; the best way to ensure an effective communication in a parent-teacher conference is by talk and listen to process. Parents should inquire whether their children meet the required standards set by the school, and if not what possible measures can be implemented.
2. Emphasis on learning; the teacher-parent conference should be concerned about the academic progress more deeply the other issues concerning the school. The parent can prepare questions that they may ask where they feel the teachers have not addressed.
3. Challenges and opportunities; the parent as well as the teacher are concerned with positive progress from the student’s perspective, thus the parents should also be ready to implement area that they feel they have the potential to perform.
In conclusion, the parent-teacher conferences are the best ways in which parents can understand their children strengths and weaknesses while pursuing their academics. Teachers are also able to implement policies with the parent’s consent as well as getting ideas on ways of improving the student’s performance.