Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences - TeachersFirst

Parent-Teacher Conferences
A guide for parents

Introduction

School Contributions

Parent Contributions

Preparing for a Conference

References

The School's Contribution

There are many things that schools can do to make parents feel more comfortable and more involved in their child's school experience:

1. Schools can provide interpreters and cultural advocates for parents who speak little English and/or come from other cultures. If such a resource is not offered, parents should feel free to request it. Some communities also have agencies that serve specific cultures and languages and provide advocates who can serve as a liaison between parents and teachers. Parents should feel free to bring another family member or friend to help translate and provide support.

2. Schools can plan activities early in the school year that serve to introduce families and school personnel in a positive setting, rather than waiting until problems arise. This gives parents the opportunity to become familiar with school staff and the school building, and to meet other parents. It also gives teachers a chance to meet parents without the stress of a conference or disciplinary issue.

3. Teachers can provide parents with periodic updates of class activities, assignments and expectations. This gives parents ongoing information about their child's school experience and provides the opportunity to seek more information about what is being taught and how their child is performing.

4. Schools can sponsor presentations, workshops, homework guides, library recommendations, etc., for parents to support their child's education.

5. Schools can establish working groups of parents and teachers to address school-wide issues such as discipline, safety, homework, standards testing, grading, etc. Sometimes it seems that the same parents are always appointed to these groups, so it is important that schools seek out parents who might not be the first to volunteer and who represent the full student population.

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Prepared for the National Association of School Psychologists by Andrea Canter, Ph.D., NCSP. In part based upon Martin and Waltman-Greenwood, Solve Your Child's School-Related Problems (chapter 2, A Parent's Primer).