Parent teacher conferences can go one of two ways and so I am excited to bring to you some tips and tricks that I have learned over the past twelve years to help make your parent teacher conferences a successful and productive time with your families!  I have put together 7 Parent Teacher Conference Tips and Tricks along with a few FREEBIES along the way!

 

 

Plan Ahead & Be Prepared

Being prepared brings peace of mind. I start planning for conferences about two weeks in advance. One of my favorite tools is a pre-conference questionnaire. It helps me avoid surprises and gives families time to provide thoughtful responses. You can download the forms below!

Student Feedback

Prior to conferences, I ask my students to complete a self-evaluation.  I like it because it makes the students aware of the different topics that I will be sharing with their parents.  It also serves as a nice conversation starter for areas that need improvement.  You can grab your own copy below:

Keep it Organized

Keep your conferences organized and on track with this form. Not only will you be ultra prepared, you won't forget to mention anything important and you can jot down student goals!

Dress for Success

Dressing for success helps maintain respect and credibility. As teachers, making a good impression on parents during conferences can foster a productive relationship to support the child's success in the classroom.

Show them Respect

When parents come in for conferences, I greet them at the door with a smile. I make eye contact, shake their hand, and use their name. If you need a cheat sheet for names, that's okay! Showing respect starts things on a positive note. After the conference, I walk them out and thank them again.

Warm and Welcoming Environment

Families notice the little things. Make your classroom and hallway warm and inviting. I display student work in the hallway for parents to see while they wait. I also set up a table with class books, a photo slideshow, mints, and paper for parents to write notes to their child. These notes get hung in the child’s locker and often stay there all year!

Compliment Sandwiches are your Friend

Have you heard of a compliment sandwich? It's a helpful way to structure feedback for families. Start with a compliment, then mention an area for improvement, and end with another positive comment. For example, “Sarah is working hard in math. She’s improving her math facts, and with practice, she’ll get there.” You can use this approach for the whole conference: start with something positive, discuss areas to work on, and end with an encouraging message. Ending on a positive note leaves a lasting, healthy impression. We've got more tips like this in this post, with ideas for report card comments.

 

Seating Arrangement

Consider the seating arrangement for parent-teacher conferences. Position parents with their backs to the door to reduce distractions and avoid making them feel trapped. Use adult-sized chairs and tables to make them comfortable—don’t make parents sit in the small classroom furniture!

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If you are looking for other conference resources to add to your collection to help make conferences less stressful, check out these products.  Simply click on the image below for a direct link to grab these for free!  Feel free to pin these images to your Pinterest boards for future reference and to share with your teacher friends!

For more tips on parent communication throughout the year, check out THIS POST!