Transcript Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain

Nothing astonishes men
so much as common sense
and plain dealing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Poet, 1803-1882
Session #7
Communicating with
Parents
Parent-Teacher
Conferencing
Parents can be your greatest source
of information and support.
Generally parents and teachers want
the same outcomes from schooling.
 some teachers feel somewhat
uneasy at the prospect of parentteacher conferences
 element of uncertainty about a
conference
Be proactive and be prepared.
 Establish a rapport with your
parents early in the school year.
 Let parents tell you about their
child’s interests and extra curricular
activities.
 Parents need to know that you
care about their child and you are a
competent teacher.
 Maintain open communication
with parents throughout the year.
 Try to write notes or make phone
calls to parents to tell them
something positive about their child.
 Merit awards and certificates are
also a form of communication with
parents.
 Know your parents… obtain
accurate knowledge of issues of
custody, guardianship and access.
 Know your parent community…
which includes the demographics,
language and culture.
Consider the need for an interpreter
in the interview.
Your school will have an interview
schedule for parent-teacher
conference days.
 Uphold the interview time limits,
and if parents absolutely need more
time, book another time to complete
the dialogue.
 Put chairs in the hall with some
educational reading material.
 Prepare a private and comfortable
area for conducting the conference.
7 Steps to Conducting
Parent-Teacher Conferences
1. Plan ahead and be prepared to:
- Identify your goals
- Provide information about curriculum
expectations
- Discuss the report card grades
- Have samples of the student’s work
- Describe the “Next Steps:”
- Suggest resources or strategies for
parents to use at home
2. Welcome the parent(s) and
state the purposes of the
meeting:
 To discuss the strengths and
needs of the student
 To answer any questions that
the parents might have about
their student’s achievement
and learning skills
3. Begin with a positive
statement about the student
 Demonstrate that you know the
student very well with a few
specific comments beyond those
that were noted in the report card
4. Listen actively
 Empathize with parents and
accept how they are feeling
 Address their needs, interests
and concerns without using
educational jargon
5. Raise issues with
parents that will help
the student
 Establish a partnership and
ask parents to follow through
on class goals at home
6. Document what was
discussed and make notes
about any follow- up tasks
 Plan follow-up contacts and
keep parents informed before
problems develop
7. End with a positive
statement
Avoid being defensive to aggressive
parental comments.
 Most problems stem from
misunderstandings, so clarify the
issues.
 Keep the child’s best interests in
mind and ensure that the parents’
rights are acknowledged.
 Maintain your control and deal
with parental complaints in a
professional manner.
 Attempt to discuss the issues in
person as opposed to over the
phone/written communication.
 Request a meeting time and ask
the parent what they wish to discuss
with you so that you can make the
necessary preparations.
What to do when there is a
parental concern…
1. Identify the Problem
 Ask the parent define the problem
and focus on the main issue.
 Encourage the parent to offer all
relevant information.
 Let the parent express his or her
feelings without becoming emotional
yourself.
 Avoid making judgmental comments
or expressing opinions.
2. Reach an Agreement
 Once the problem has been
identified and all of the issues are
understood, you and the parent(s)
can explore a range of possible
solutions.
 Compromise on the
implementation of the solutions.
3. Propose an Action Plan
 This is how the solution will be
implemented and it identifies roles
and timelines.
 The parent should leave the
interview satisfied that his/her
point of view has been heard and
that something is going to be done.
4. Following-up
 Decide on a subsequent interview
appointment to assess the
effectiveness of the action plan.
At all times exhibit…
Self-control
Active listening skills
Clear and honest communication
Respect for the needs of your
students and the rights of their
parents
 Adherence to professional
principles
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