Menu

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Simply STEAM Education

Making STEAM education simple!

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Math
    • Science
    • STEM
    • Digital Resources
    • Holidays
  • Products
    • Simply STEAM by Sarah Barnett
    • TpT Store
  •  
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

October 7, 2021

10 Parent Teacher Conference Tips for an Effective Meeting

parent teacher conference

Are you anxiously preparing for a parent-teacher conference? Parent-teacher conferences are an exciting time to form partnerships with your students’ caregivers. It’s also stressful. You’ve got to gather all the information and data and present it to their families delicately.

Here are some tips for having a positive parent-teacher conference with your student’s families. 

Tip #1 Sit at a table

sit at a table during the conference

There’s a suggestive significance about where you’ll sit during this conference. Instead, use a round table to conduct the meeting. You can even push two desks together if you don’t have a round table. 

If you sit at a desk, you distance yourself from the child’s caregivers. 

Sitting next to them makes the meeting more personable and makes you feel approachable. It also builds trust and helps you establish a partnership while working alongside the family. This is a simple strategy for building a partnership during your parent-teacher conference.

Tip #2  Create a Waiting Area

Create a waiting area before the conference

You’ll find that some families arrive early. Setting up a space for them outside is essential so you can maintain confidentiality with the conference in session. Create a waiting area by placing a few chairs and a welcome table outside. If you have a bulletin board, hang student work on it. 

These forms are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop.

I like using these templates so parents and guardians can write to the student. They give these to me before they leave so I can place them on their desks. My students love these little surprises, and I think their families enjoyed having a task to occupy their time.

Tip #3 Check Your Parent-Teacher Conference Schedule

Check your schedule

I like using Sign Up Genius to create schedules for my conferences. It’s easy to use because it prints the times for me. Remember, you’ll have some families who just show up. It’s okay. Try to work them into your schedule, but if you can’t because of a full schedule, set up another date and time to conference or try a video conference with them at a different time.

These forms are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop.

If you’re like me, then handwriting your schedule is helpful. I use this sheet to write down my schedule and organize my files based on which families are coming in. Doing this keeps me organized and prepared for the next meeting. 

Tip #4 Create a Goal for Each Conference

Create a goal for each student

Parents want to know how their child is doing, but most importantly, they want to know how to help. Start your conference by addressing the data points and explaining what each one means. Then, propose a goal for that child to improve or maintain growth. Goals could be as simple as completing homework, reading nightly, x minutes practicing math facts, behavior charts, etc. 

Tip #5 Ask Parents and Guardians About Their Concerns

Ask about concerns before the conference

Before each conference, I send home a questionnaire to my students’ families. These questions are insightful! I ask the parents about their concerns, what they hope to cover during our meeting, and how they expect me to help. 

These parent questionnaires are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop.

The responses I get help me feel confident about what we will discuss because I’ve had time to plan for answering these. I think it helps parents and guardians feel that the conference was successful since we discussed everything mentioned.

Tip #6 Provide Updated Data at the Parent Teacher Conference

Provide updated data

Be sure that the data you provide is updated and accurate. It’s pointless to have a meeting about a test score that was low three weeks ago. When sharing data, have examples and portfolios ready to share. These help clarify the meaning of each data point. 

When preparing the materials, use a sticky note to jot examples or ask questions that you need clarification from the student or family. Doing so will keep you focused and highlight your main points. 

Tip #7 No Teacher Talk

parent teacher conference

We use tons of acronyms in education. For example, “Maria’s SLP works with her IEP and 504. She’s working on pronouncing the /sh/ words from the HFW and PSI lists.”

People not in education will not understand this jargon, so speak to your students’ families using whole words. Please do not assume they know any acronyms, and go slow!  

You may want to provide a pencil and paper so they can take notes. Also, ask if they have any questions before moving on. 

Tip #8 Provide Extra Copies for Parents and Guardians

parent teacher conference

Conferences can be overwhelming for parents and guardians, especially if their child is struggling. It’s normal for their brains to shut off, especially when learning about deficits and missed milestones for the first time. 

Providing extra copies of everything discussed to the parents and guardians is essential. Doing so will help the parents understand as they reflect at a later time. Be sure to avoid acronyms and give examples with the additional documents.

Tip #9 Be Positive

Be positive

Start the conference by welcoming the child and their family. Smile and thank them for coming to the meeting. Once you’re seated, start by giving positive comments about the student’s strengths. You can even share how you’ve bonded with the child over the past few weeks. Doing this will help the parent understand that you like their child and see value in them.

Here’s a simple gift I like to give students’ families for attending the conference. These are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop.

I thank my parents for coming to the conference by giving them a small gift. It’s nothing expensive and an excellent way to say thank you for your time. These are nice for them to sip on during our meetings. I have several different templates available so that we use other gifts for each conference.

Tip #10 Remain Professional During the Parent-Teacher Conference

parent teacher conference

Rarely will a parent become upset or defensive. If you’re uncomfortable in a situation, contact your administrator immediately. It’s not fun, but calmly remind them that you must work together for the child’s benefit. 

Finally, you must never forget that each student has a right to confidentiality. Do not share information about other students during the conference. 

Want more checklists for managing and organizing your classroom? Grab these free checklists today! 

Grab these free checklists and reminder forms here.

If you’re doing conferences virtually this year, you’ve got to check out my tips for making it a successful Virtual Parent-Teacher Conference.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Back to School, Planning & Organization

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Might Also Love

Fun and engaging language arts ideas for the elementary classroom
Four Fun and Interactive Language Arts Ideas for Elementary Centers
Categories: ELA, Planning & Organization
3 Easy Money Counting Games
Categories: Mathematics
3 Brain Breaks for a Happier Classroom
Categories: Back to School, Planning & Organization

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Improve Classroom Community with STEM Education
  • Place Value: Sticky Strategies That Actually Work
  • Elementary Engagement Strategies
  • Back to Happy: 5 Strategies to Keep Your Teaching Spark Alive
  • Cultivating a Growth Mindset to Boost Student Confidence: Tips for Success

Products

  • Done for you Games Done For You Games: First Grade Math $297.00
  • January STEM Activities $10.00
  • Alphabet STEM Activities and Challenges $17.00
  • STEM Box Activities $6.00
  • Classroom Behavior Management Tool $7.00
Tap the button to shop from my Teacher's Pay Teacher store.

Get connected with Simply STEAM!

  • Amazon
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube