Parent Teacher Conference Tips
Learning Objective: Teachers will be able to (TWBAT) know what to ask students to bring and what to say during Parent Teacher Conferences.
Parent teacher conferences are coming up and there are many questions buzzing among teachers in our schools. What if the parents don’t respect me? How do I talk about this kid who drives me crazy? What do I wear? What do I ask the kids to bring? Can I make the conferences student led? In this post I will be addressing two of the most asked questions: 1) What materials should I incorporate and 2) How do I talk about the not-so-wonderful kids?
What Materials Should I Incorporate?
Whatever you ask the students to bring to conferences you want it to guide the discussion.
To guide the conversation to talk about the academic progress of the student, find an assignment that you want your kids to present and ask them to write a reflection about it before the conference.
To bring up the child’s behavior, try to find a behavior rubric or reflection you ask your students to fill-out prior to the conference. Here is a bilingual one that I made that covers attendance and preparedness, effort and time management, and behavior and respect.
How Do I Talk About A Not-So-Wonderful Kid?
How do you talk about a kid that is not a pleasure in your class? Voicing your concerns are important, but the tone in which you voice them can make all the difference. For example, instead of saying, "Your child is way too hyper," try "I appreciate your child's energy and enthusiasm, but maybe we need to focus on channeling it to be more productive in class." Here are some positive words you can say to replace the negative ones you probably shouldn’t:
Negative Words Positive Words
Short attention span Many interests
Hyperactive Energetic, enthusiastic
Impulsive Spontaneous, enthusiastic
Impatient Eager
Stubborn, demanding Persistent, dedicated, determined, assertive
Argumentative Committed
Naughty, tests limits Risk taker, independent, exploring boundaries
Manipulative Negotiator, gets needs met
Sneaky Inventive, creative,
Nosey Curious, inquisitive
Disobedient, defiant, rebellious Self-directed, strong beliefs, courageous
Talks back Courageous, honest
Explosive, Dramatic Self-expressive, emotionally aware
Attention-seeker Speaks out needs
Tattletale Seeks justice
Loud Exuberant, confident
Talkative, chatty Good communicator
Timid, anxious, fearful Cautious, thoughtful, careful
Shy Values trust
Quiet Thoughtful, reflective
Dependent Connects well with others
Rigid High sense of order
Bossy Good director, natural leader
Compulsive Efficient, attention to detail
Complainer, entitled Self-advocate
Conceited Confident, values self
Spoiled Needs clear boundaries, loved
Sensitive Intuitive, aware of feelings
Clingy Affectionate
Foolish Fun-loving
Goofy, silly Joyful, entertaining, good sense of humor
Lazy Needs encouragement
Messy Practicing skills, learning
Irresponsible Easy going, comfortable
Poor planner, disorganized Present-focused
Doodles Creative
Unfocused Abstract thinker, processing information
Remember, replacing those negative words for positive ones can really make a difference. And lastly, an inspirational quote for the week:
“Build upon strengths, and weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves.”
