Do and Don't List of Parent/Teacher Conferences

After a week of student-led parent/teacher conferences, I have created my own survival list:

DO:

Remain humble. You may be an expert at school, but parents remain the expert of their children
Listen more than you talk. You talk all the time during class, let someone else share how they feel.

Stay positive. Focus on the future and stress that you’re main goal is the success of the student.

Create an atmosphere of openness. You have the home advantage; you’re on your turf. To make up for that, you must be extra welcoming and understanding.

Come prepared with students’ grades, examples of work, issues you have observed and (most important) suggestions for solutions.

DON’T:

Judge families or assume things about families. You only spent about an hour with them, you do not know them.

Ever talk bad about other teachers, parents or students in front of families.

Focus on negative aspects about the past. Even if this student gave you hell last semester, this is water under the bridge and it is time to move forward.

Waste parents’ time with explaining things that are unimportant or irrelevant. If the student does not have an attendance problem, don’t go over the attendance policy again.