‘Tis the season for Parent Teacher Conferences. In the next two months, most schools will host their Parent Teacher Conference (PTC) days. I have had PTC in multiple ways (online versus in person), at different times of the year, and in various formats. Here is a little bit of what I have experienced – and what I suggest for a smooth PTC season!
For my very first Parent Teacher Conference, I asked my mom what she liked and didn’t like when she attended PTC. She mentioned that she liked when they had a grade handout, mints, and a list of potential resources for the student. After my first PTC I realized how many younger children accompany their parents to the conferences and added a bowl of candy to go with it – which not surprisingly turned out to be a fan favorite. I have also added mini pencils to my table so that guardians can take notes on the handouts I give them. My current school gives us business cards, so those are on display as well.
At my first school, guardians signed up for conferences – which was nice because then you knew exactly who would be in attendance. Conferences were held in teacher’s rooms and any teacher who did not have a room was assigned a space. These conferences were always held in person and you were assigned two random breaks throughout the day.
At my second school, every single teacher sits in the fieldhouse. This is a bit chaotic but I actually like having everyone in the same space – plus the guardians are not running all over the school building. We don’t know necessarily who will show up, which is less ideal, but it does give guardians the ability to not have to sign up weeks in advance and just show up on the day if it works for them. Half of these conferences are remotely scheduled and the other half is in the fieldhouse where anyone can attend. Guardians voted that they preferred having both options, and I’m not going to argue with being able to conduct them from the comfort of my home!
In regards to the actual conferences themselves – everyone has good ones and bad ones. For the most part they should be quick, professional, and straight to the point. There will be the occasional terrible one – but those are typically very rare. If you already know that a parent is going to be an issue/ you’ve had some rough email conversations with a guardian previously, don’t hesitate to ask an admin to step into that conference with you.
If you have a co-teacher make sure you are on the same page prior to going into the conference. It should be decided beforehand who is going to start a hard conversation, who will handle questions, and who will do the advice giving.
My least favorite part of PTC is when parents ask for parental advice – because honestly I have no idea. I have a toddler, so I’m not sure how to parent a teenager nor what works for their family. I always try to redirect this question to my suggestions for what can be changed at school.
My last piece of advice is to say at least one nice thing about every student you have a conference about. No matter what is going on in their academic life, we have no idea what is really happening behind the scene and that compliment will go a long way.
Good luck!
Ms. Pi 4 Ever 