A group of dedicated educators gather each week to discuss best practices & designing the school of the future. @yankee_todd is a third year principal of the middle school in San Antonio. #neisdpln is an amazing hour each Monday night at 7:30 central time.
A1 I always get relevantscores and grades and read through any background information i can get my hands on. I also talk to current teachers if they cannot make the conference.#neisdpln
Ts have to put in time to know their kids inside and out. They also should have a “script” of items that NEED to be discussed. It’s hard to “wing it.” Kinda like teaching. #neisdpln
A1: In the past, I gathered student work to show the parents - work examples were Good and Bad. Parents always like to hear the good things their babies do. #neisdpln
A1 I always get relevantscores and grades and read through any background information i can get my hands on. I also talk to current teachers if they cannot make the conference.#neisdpln
A1: Student work samples and evidence are always a must during conferences. Quantifying a grade/percent is easier when their is pudding (proof is in the pudding, get it?!) #neisdpln
A1 to get the best bang for my buck, I make a check list of what I want to say to each parent so I hit everything I need to within that 15-20 min time slot. #neisdpln
A1: Coming from an elementary background helped me learn what I need to prepare for conferences, even for MS. I prepared a checklist for myself & parents, my reflection on the ss, and the ss did a self-reflection. Really had to take the time to know the whole child. #neisdpln
A1- I look at student work, and have some samples ready. If there are serious concerns, I make sure that I have made contact with the parent beforehand, so they know what is happening before they get there. #neisdpln
A2: Honestly, to understand where the parent is in the process and whether or not I've been successful in providing support for student AND parent. #neisdpln
A2: ultimate goal inform and make parents aware where their child is and PROGRESS is our goal. Let the parents know we’re all on the same side and make sure they leave with all of us knowing that. #neisdpln
A1: I have the student explain their data to their parent using their data binder. This contains their scores, levels and goals. I also like to have tips and print outs of things the parents can do at home help their student #neisdpln
My goal always was to develop a plan to best position a student for success, by leveraging school and home. I couldn’t do that if I didn’t know what my students were supposed to know by the time they left my grade. #neisdpln
A2 I always want to leave with a parent who has a realistic view of their child’s strengths and weaknesses and understands what all of us need to do to for the child to be successful #neisdpln
A1: I have a wonderful little setup with all my data & notes, but I always take the time to ask the kids a few questions about how they feel about the year so far #neisdpln
A2: One of the ultimate goals is to ensure the future success of the child. Start to build the relationship with parent - We R a team! Set goals with parent and follow through. #neisdpln
A2: The goal of a P/T Conference is to make sure there is an understanding of what the student has learned and what they need additional support in. Also, what can be done to support that. Not just "This is what's wrong with..." #neisdpln
A2: Learn more about the child from the parents, discuss the parents’ “worries” and give them a snapshot of the year ahead. Checklist and scripting what I need to say are a must.. then the discussion goes from there! #neisdpln
A2 My goal is for the parent to see where their child is and to develop a plan tailored to the students needs whether it is intervention or acceleration. #neisdpln
A1. I like to map out my conference ahead of time so I know I’m addressing all areas of strength and weakness. I like to have latest data ready to show parents so they have a clear, honest picture of where/how their child is performing.
A3: celebrate the child three positives for every negative. Let them know honestly where their child is at and don’t sugar coat but don’t be brutal. #neisdpln
A2- As a PK teacher, sometimes, I am teaching the parents as much as I am teaching the kids. My BOY conf is to tell parents to let their little ones do more for themselves! They are capable. My MOY conf is on how they can continue working at home to prep for Kinder. #neisdpln
A2: my goal is to always stay positive! No matter what you have to talk about it’s always a good idea to keep things professional and upbeat. Plus it helps strengthen the parent/ teacher relationships #neisdpln
A2: The ultimate goal is to give the parents a clear picture of where their students are and where they need to be. This is done quickly by being fully prepared and knowing the students well. #neisdpln
This is something T’s should always be working on. Meeting parents at parent conference time is too late. Deposits should have been made a long time before that’s day. Constant communication and catch ups are essential. #neisdpln
A3- I work hard to start with a connection. Something their child did recently, question about their family, share a "oh my own 4 year old" story. #neisdpln
A3: open that line of communication ASAP. The conference should be ongoing and not a one time deal. Emails, messages, calls, notes are all part of the process. #neisdpln
I've always been a believer in constant communication. There should be no surprises during conferences or report cards. The communication must be ongoing. Positive and/or negative. #neisdpln
A3: Always on a positive comment!! Parents love hearing how wonderful their kid is, plus it’s great to get to show off each student’s strengths #neisdpln
joining in late...computer issues. A3 I would always start a conference thanking the parent(s) for taking their time to meet about their child. Always start with a positive. They want to know you love their child as much as they do #neisdpln
Definitely! And hearing stories about what they do and are like outside of school that we haven’t heard from the kids. All about those connections! #neisdpln
A3 start with a smile! I like to start by asking parents “what are some positive things you have noticed about ____ learning/ growth this far, what are your concerns? “ I try and have the parent talk so it feels more like just a conversation #neisdpln
joining in late...computer issues. A3 I would always start a conference thanking the parent(s) for taking their time to meet about their child. Always start with a positive. They want to know you love their child as much as they do #neisdpln
The ideas being shared are amazing. Great perspectives from Elementary and Middle School. Don’t believe the myth that parents stop caring after elementary. #neisdpln
A3 I try to develop a relationship with parents before conferences. This way they already Feel comfortable coming in and having a conversation about their child and their Child’s student work. #neisdpln
I've always been a believer in constant communication. There should be no surprises during conferences or report cards. The communication must be ongoing. Positive and/or negative. #neisdpln
Yes. As a parent of a middle schooler, I can say first hand that I'm more involved now than I've ever been. And I think that I was an involved parent in Elementary. I'm nervous just thinking about high school! #neisdpln
Yes! I had a parent conference this morning who just wanted to meet and talk about their child’s progress/what they could do more of at home. A teacher’s dream 🤩 #neisdpln
The ideas being shared are amazing. Great perspectives from Elementary and Middle School. Don’t believe the myth that parents stop caring after elementary. #neisdpln
A2 ultimate goal for a conference is communication between parents and me to be sure we know goals each child is trying to accomplish. We want everyone to grow and succeed. #neisdpln
Q5: Attendance can be a hard subject to bring up to parents. How can we use a conference to help them understand the importance of bringing their S to school? What can we do to help support parents who are struggling in this area? #neisdpln
A5: send an email, text, messages after one day of being absent! Let them know they’re missed and we notice. Parents like that you take the time to ask... #neisdpln
Q4: How do we convey a sense of urgency to address academic areas of concern while maintaining a positive, hopeful & collaborative partnership? #neisdpln
In case I skipped it :)
Paint a picture of what their child is missing by being late or absent. The grades should reflect the issue. If the child continues to have good grades then you aren’t challenging them enough. #neisdpln
Q5: Attendance can be a hard subject to bring up to parents. How can we use a conference to help them understand the importance of bringing their S to school? What can we do to help support parents who are struggling in this area? #neisdpln
Q5: Attendance can be a hard subject to bring up to parents. How can we use a conference to help them understand the importance of bringing their S to school? What can we do to help support parents who are struggling in this area? #neisdpln
A4: data helps with this, show where their child is and where they should be. Lots of times it’s a wake up call and while the child may not get all the way there we celebrate all successes even the most minor. #neisdpln
I was wondering where 4 was. Hehe. Again, don’t sugar coat it. Don’t be a “Debbie Downer” but instead share ideas on working together we can impact the student in a positive manner. #neisdpln
Q4: How do we convey a sense of urgency to address academic areas of concern while maintaining a positive, hopeful & collaborative partnership? #neisdpln
In case I skipped it :)
Q4: How do we convey a sense of urgency to address academic areas of concern while maintaining a positive, hopeful & collaborative partnership? #neisdpln
In case I skipped it :)
Q4: Reaching out the concerns before fall conferences roll around. This let’s the plan of action get started! Let the parents know we’re all on the same team and will do what needs to be done to ensure their success. #neisdpln
Q4: How do we convey a sense of urgency to address academic areas of concern while maintaining a positive, hopeful & collaborative partnership? #neisdpln
In case I skipped it :)
A5: my school does this amazing thing where the kids get attendance tickets everyday they are in school and every Friday they can use the to “buy” items at the school attendance store #neisdpln
Q5: Stating the facts for this one. Knowing how many days & tardies by number. Explaining what their child misses by being gone too much, but also how hard it is to catch up. Nothing can replace the in class experience for certain things! #neisdpln
Q5: Attendance can be a hard subject to bring up to parents. How can we use a conference to help them understand the importance of bringing their S to school? What can we do to help support parents who are struggling in this area? #neisdpln
A4- It’s like coaching sports. The T and the P are the coaches, and you each use your realm of expertise to help the S. You come up with a game plan and everyone helps execute it. When you work in a collaborative team positivity and success usually follow. #neisdpln
A5: There are some statistics out there that really put things into perspective regarding school attendance. Some of these are real eye openers. These can help. https://t.co/hzdTeBHeF3#neisdpln
A5 I think the more you can show the parents at the conference all of the amazing things that are happening during the day and spotlight that child's key role in these activities. Be an empathetic listener to what is preventing attendance. #neisdpln
A5- I think when you start explaining the number of hours they are missing, it can be very eye opening If I feel they are having trouble, I direct them to our Family Specialist, so she can assist them with any needs they may have. #neisdpln
I've got to get going, #neisdpln . I've got two loads of laundry that are calling my name. Good night and I got some great insight for P/T conferences. Deuces!
A6: In MS it's tough b/c it can be multiple teachers w/1 parent. That's intimidating (although time saving). Maybe go it alone or carve out a short window and rotate. #neisdpln
A6- I want to get my Little’s to lead their own conference, and also want to do a thank you “present” for parents taking the time to come to conferences. #neisdpln
Q6: I’d like to try having parents write their child a quick supportive note or letter to their child that I can share with them on one of those rough days or when they need a pick me up #neisdpln
