Fall Conferences - staying focused

This fall, more than ever, teachers may need to work a little harder to keep the focus on student progress during parent-teacher conferences, especially October 14 (the day after the School Board decision).  Here are some suggestions to avoid getting side-tracked with questions about next year:

1.  Prepare an agenda

This doesn't need to be printed or posted, but in your mind, be clear about what you want to cover, and have your materials ready.  

2.  Clearly remind/communicate the meeting's length if needed

If you feel the meeting is moving away from the student's work, remind the family that you have 15 minutes to talk about their child's progress in your classroom.

3.  Lead the conversation with a student-focused approach

If the conversation moves into questions about next year, here are some suggestions to acknowledge the concern, but not lose focus on the student:

• There are a lot of unknowns right now. More information will be coming from the district in the next few weeks.
• Let me look into that and get back to you.
• There's a page on the district website with information and next steps.
• If you have additional questions, please reach out to Mrs. Hellmers and she can answer them, or guide you to someone who can.

OPTIONAL: Another suggestion to collect information ahead of time is to send home some type of survey - then you can anticipate what types of questions families may have, and be prepared to address them right away - example of Conference Questions.