#caedchat Archive
#caedchat is for California educators, by California educators. All are welcome as moderators and participants discuss issues that emerge in California education, which are generally applicable to other regions of the United States.
Sunday October 16, 2016
Tonight’s is moderated by and
Thank you for joining tonight. The topic is "Reimagine Conference Time."
Let’s all take a moment to introduce ourselves. Where are you from? What do you teach?
Tara from Merced. Teacher Librarian.
Super excited to talk about how to Reimagine Conference Time on tonight's ! For the next hour my tweets are dedicated to this topic
Lemarr Treadwell, 4th grade, Fresno
Rick Stevens, educational consultant and coach from San Fran area. 25 years teaching & admin. Now in Alt Ed.
Sara from Fresno. Teacher Librarian. Just got back from a conference!
Hi Rick, great to see you again! Thanks for joining in!
Florencia from Marin County. Foreign language teacher.
Kirstin from Ladera Ranch, CA. 4th grade teacher. Happy Sunday everyone!
Jeanie from San Marcos USD, Ed Tech TOSA
Great to see you Jeanine!
Karl from Langley, BC. Hi, :)
Whoop! Karl is in the house!
Good evening! I teach World History in Cerritos.
Hi everyone :) I'm Sabba so glad to be able to join in tonight
Brad from San Clemente, Principal
My two favorite tips for teachers:
1. Stop playing school
2. Value curiosity over compliance.
https://t.co/K954RGyEc5
-----------------> Q1 is ready, are you?
Watch for
Figured I ought to show up for a little while :)
-----> Q1 How can you use conference time to build a partnership with parents and students?
RT -----> Q1 How can you use conference time to build a partnership with parents and students?
Dianne from San Diego, grade 5 and k-5 tech/STEM - list of questions?
Wow so many people from Orange County here tonight 👏
Thanks for joining us, Dianne!
tip: Use TweetDeck and have two columns open for the chat; one for real time and one for where you are in the chat.
To participate in the chat be sure to use the hashtag on every tweet.
moderators will post a questions Q1, Q2, Q3. Participants respond with A1, A2, A3, etc.
Hello ! Cherise from SF Bay Area. Teacher Educator and Digital Literacy Researcher. Just stopping in for a quick hello
Thanks for joining us, Cherise!
Christina from Merced, Ca!
I always learn new strategies at conferences to connect with Ss and Ps, but I don't connect during conferences
A1: Try to make it a student led conference, if possible. Provide some best work examples as well as challenges.
A1: Use conferences as a time to listen. Connect with families and let students lead.
Q1 How can you use conference time to build a partnership with parents and students?
I always felt closer to parents/families after 1 on 1 time at conferences
A1 Conference time is when I can listen and learn more about my students from Ps perspective.
Good morning from India! I always wanted to figure out how conferences work and this seems to be a great chance! :)
Conferences bring a more personal level of communication when meeting
curious what is meant by 'where u R in chat?' I use tweetdeck w/the chat hashtag & notifications open.
A1: use dialogue not monologue
Remind is a good one, also using docs, classroom, linking assignments whenever possible
Meeting face-to-face with the parents and students helps to create a more personal relationship
A1:Make sure conferences aren't the 1st positive interaction w/ parents. Phone calls, emails, anything to build rapport beforehand
I don't have many Ss/Ps in libraryland, so I have to try reaching out to entire campus
A1: Great time to get Ss talking and myself and Ps listening
Definitely. It's hard to real conversations if P/T conference is the first contact. Esp if there is a concern.
A1 conferences are good time to LISTEN. Hear family goals for Ss, unite as an "education team" in S best interests
Agree! Tone & expression aren't the same thru digital communication or even phone. F2F meeting is whole new layer.
Hi Letty, Bilingual Kindergarten Tt from Oxnard, Ca.
A1: good time 2 listen & learn about S & family. Good 4 S to see families & Ts as 1 team there 2 support S
I was just about to ask who talks more in a parent-teacher conference and here is my answer!
I am just learning how to tweet, my hope is to keep up and get some great information https://t.co/9Df6yyDiBW
-----------------> Q1 is ready, are you?
Watch for
A1: conferences provide an opportunity to gain perspective and connect
A1. Seems simple. Have dialogue (expectations) before Parent Conferences
Students need to do most of the talking too.
-----------------> Q2 is up next.
Watch for
I think so...looking at feedback tomorrow. All the folks that came up enjoyed it...and there was rain here as well.
-----> Q2 What is your favorite part of how you run your conferences?
I should have been more clear. Sorry! Parent/Teacher/Student Conference Time.
A2: Students lead the conferences, not me.
A1. Start the conference with a warm greeting, an agenda, and end on a good note.
:) those are great too! Lots of them this time of year
Like they decide what happens during a P-T conference? https://t.co/P8P8OEAYQh
A2: Students lead the conferences, not me.
A2: Watching students and parents interact. Sometimes it can reveal struggles we might otherwise overlook.
A2: my favorite part is meeting Ps and seeing where Ss come from. I also like to have a balance of +/- comments, not all - things
A2: I always keep in touch with parents all year so there are no surprises. it’s great to check in face2face and give good news.
Yup. Ss have a general outline of things to touch on, but they do the talking.
I'm not yet a teacher, but I would love to get the students involved in these future conferences
A1 it’s an opportunity to discuss the whole child and agree to goals and expectations by getting their input and feedback
no worries. Glad you've been there! We all miss sometimes. All welcome whenever & 4 however long can join. ;)
A1. Be prepared for upset parents, have a plan!
A2: the structure, every great meeting has a predetermined structure which allows for positive outcomes
A2 my daughter's school does "appointments" w/no kids present. Allows lots of time & convo, but no
A2 This year our Ss are building portfolios in Google Slides to share at conference time. This is my favorite thing.
this can be fun and interesting
Student voices are the most important part of conferences.
Once the parents brought their son & I was brutally honest. I told them he is unteachable as long as he sits with a closed mindset
ooh! I think I'll share this w/my daughter's teacher. Give us a chance to get her input at PT conf
A2 having students create their GC portfolio online, showing their best work to parents without me ever saying a word
So true! https://t.co/PiJjteA0DK
A2: Watching students and parents interact. Sometimes it can reveal struggles we might otherwise overlook.
-----------------> Q3 is set.
Watch for
Hello, . Scott from LA (!) poppin' in late.
Always with the Oreo! Something good, the issue, then something else great about a student! https://t.co/MZj9SEdtiQ
A1. Start the conference with a warm greeting, an agenda, and end on a good note.
----->Q3 What do you wish you could change about how you run your conferences?
From LA?! What did I miss?
Always great to see you here, Scott! Thanks for joining!
RT ----->Q3 What do you wish you could change about how you run your conferences?
My big learning: P-T conference is not 4 u to share what u think of an S. It is an opportunity to understand where they come from
Very different worlds. In HS, conferences are punitive. In elem, conferences are required. Hard to had Ss proudly display work.
A3- related to A2, would like more opps for . Gonna use ideas from this chat! Thx
That is a great idea: building a student portfolio w/ Google Slides.Excellent opportunity for reflection
A3: I would make the conferences a little longer and with the whole teaching team so we can give a complete view of the Ss.
A3 I wish there was more TIME! We have to run 32 conferences and that makes our time short.
Not all HS conferences are punitive. Can have all Ss do conferences.
A2: connecting with parents on a personal level
A3: they always seem rushed due to Ts and Ss availability
Yes! And I got an extra hour or two a couple of the days I do conferences in the evening :)
A3: I wish that we had more time. I would love to know more about student's background, family dynamic, motivators, etc
A3 I would change when our coferences are held they aren't until February, they need to be sooner to get parents on board
A3: Have students run the conference and show parents a portfolio of their work
We run one entire day of conferences 8am-8pm and then run half day the next day. I often do them before/after school too
A3. Include Skype, SWAY & Forms for parents & child at home. I always ask, "Where does Ss study at home?"
We made a push to have conferences sooner, too. Right after the first 6 weeks of instruction.
Same for us. 1st day 8-8 and 2nd half day depending on how many kids.
All my HS advisees to a conference. Not punitive. Expected of all Ss.
A3 I wish we did them more than once a year. Yes, I know we *CAN* on our own time, but wld be nice if districts support this
A3 time management, every year I think its going to get easier. I’m always feeling rushed, even if I spread out the conferences
That seems like a better solution to the time issue
Wow that's a long day! Ours are spread out over 2 non student days and 2 min days
A3: agree time is huge factor. my former school, Ts only conferenced w/Ss who "needed" due 2 "problems"
Still with 32 students that is 20 minutes each. That is why we add on other days beyond the district given days.
I did mine after school for 2-3 nights.
Yes, its a marathon day and we are braindead the next day.
I think conferences need more time as well
wow, mine are just around the corner. I bet you have so much more 2 share. I’m still learning Ss strengths and weaknesses
since my Ss are so little their portfolio is their iPad with stored projects
We are expected to see 75 students in 10 hours. Only 46 families could make it two weeks ago. :(
Our conferences are this week, for that reason, so we can communicate early to parents
Advisory is a class. Taught four sections of history, saw 1/4 of those Ss a second period a day in advisory.
Include venue for Ss to showcase/Demo work/projects
That is crazy maybe even impossible! Do you run any in the evening for working parents?
-----------------> Q4 is coming very soon.
Look for tweet!
wow, we have them for almost an entire week talk about a marathon
wow, we have them for almost an entire week talk about a marathon
Yes, we run 3 of those hours in the evening. I think we would get better turn out if we did more nights
----->Q4 How can student led conferences help impact student learning?
I have begun blogs for the s but we have yet to implement them. That is next. I want s to showcase their writing
ah I see. My school doesn't have that. Most Ts have 150-170 Ss. You only get to conference with those that "need" it
Start by helping administrators support student-led conferences
This may be where are portfolios may help improve the communication early.
for us those are usually winter and spring conferences. In the fall we meet w all Ps
I was thinking "YIKES!" but mine isn't much better. We get 4 half days of conferences.
A4 Student led conferences help students feel empowered and have a sense of ownership of their learning.
A4: Student-led confs force Ss to look more at work and less on grades AND how others see their work.
A4: Student led conferences build accountability. It's hard to hide when you're the one preparing for and delivering conference
A3: what if no grades (imagine more k8) & deeper, longer, meaningful whole child conferences?
A4. With good questions: s strengths, weaknesses, disposition (attitude towards school and learning.
YES! This! https://t.co/lODH8kw8bU
A4: Student-led confs force Ss to look more at work and less on grades AND how others see their work.
A4 it places the focus on Ss. Ss can prep w Standards and content checklist that showcases und. and reflection of learning goals
A4: S would be more serious about their work because it is for them not the t or the parent
Because it gives students the ability to take ownership of their learning
topic tonight is student/parent/teacher conferences
Opportunities to Showcase work are motivators, validating and teach real world skills.
A4: Student led conferences can improve buy in, help Ss feel accountable for their own learning, increase responsibility
that’s awesome, I use kidblog but I’m also using Seesaw which works wonderfully as portfolio/blog
-----------------> Q5 is up next.
Look for tweet!
-----> Q5 Sometimes we have to share difficult things with parents. How do you approach the difficult conversations?
-----> Q5 Sometimes we have to share difficult things with parents. How do you approach the difficult conversations?
RT ---> Q5 Sometimes we share difficult things w/ parents. How do you approach the difficult conversations?
A5: With honesty and concern for S.
that needs to become part of the learning culture. We Ts need to always circle back to goals and objectives
Instinct says be transparent but politics say sandwich
A5: 2 develop relationships early & stay on top of commun so parents don't feel surprised or like convo is out of left field
Ohhhhhhhhhhh Nooooooooo!!! So sorry. I jumped into the middle of this chat & just saw conferences
A5: Always start with the positives. Every student has a strength we can build from.
Yes! Not a chance to complain or be negative. A chance to connect and show concern/compassion.
A5 Hopefully conf isn't the first time the conv is happening. Build relationships with concerns early, so conf is setting goals
A5: It helps when I mention that I am a parent too.
No worries. Just glad you joined! :)
A5: P usually know and I let them know I am there for their child for extra support/tutoring
Feel like can't go wrong with transparency & honesty. Seems to be a tough order to fill these days. https://t.co/IZUOCCqxgO
Instinct says be transparent but politics say sandwich
A5 Make it known everyone works together as a team. Not school against family.
Yes! Want parents to know that I know their son/daughter as human being.
A5 honesty, Ps appreciate it, you’re not wasting their time by avoiding the topic and it allows you to focus on solutions
This is what I fear most as a new teacher, any advice would be great!
A5 Also, you shouldn't be scared to have the difficult conv. You might be the 1st T to do that. You are the S advocate.
It also helps that this is the third year I am teaching this group of kids so it is a very close group and a small school.
A5 I always start by saying something positive about their child and then talk about what the isssue is and work with parent
A5: Have reachable and accessible options and supports for parents if possible
---------------------> Prepare for Q6 from
-----> Q6 What is your best tip for running a successful conference?
I think that’s changed. Maybe it used 2 be. I don’t agree that’s why so $$ is reserved 4 intervention
lots of Gr8 advice here!!
A6: have chocolate. ;) ;)
A6 Be organized. Listen. Let the student lead.
A6: Be honest, direct, and solution-oriented. Nobody wants their time wasted by another long mtng!
A6: Have a gameplan! Use a checklist to make sure you cover everything you need to discuss
We believe this is the key to all of our events at our Jewish school - food = happy/connected/comfort
A6 For Student Led conferences it is very important to allocate class time to helping Ss prepare. This is time WELL spent.
For Ss who need behavior, academic, or emotional needs. P don't want to always hear the truth
Great advice for parent teacher conferences https://t.co/ZcdJR845Ps
A6: Be honest, direct, and solution-oriented. Nobody wants their time wasted by another long mtng!
Love it! What school? https://t.co/ySeWeScJ0r
We believe this is the key to all of our events at our Jewish school - food = happy/connected/comfort
A6 I always ask Ps, What can you tell me about your child that will help me be a better teacher for them.
We do student led conferences & that students set own goals. Have them write some before.We also have evidence of s work and data.
A6: Be solution oriented. Whatever issues or areas of concern are exposed, solutions and next steps are key.
A6: Keep it fun, hands on and relevant to daily teaching practices.
A6 be prepared, give Ss an opportunity to showcase their work and let Ps know that they are key!
A6: Preparation is key to success. Have best work examples; also have 'not yet' examples as well
Be solution oriented. Ask how the team can work together.
I want to go to your conference
--------------------> will be sending out Q7 soon.
----->Q7 How do you support and engage parents (before, during, and after conferences) who speak other languages?
Yes. Asking parents to talk about their child in positive ways is great strategy!
A7: Remind texts, flyers, invitations in English and Spanish. (Thanks, Google Translate!) Translators on site on conference day.
Gotta run - thanks and GREAT chat!
A7 Know in advance if translation is needed. My district provides this. If not, Google Translate is a great tool!
A7: This year I'm going to use the app. Type out what you need to say, and use as needed to support discussion
Q7: Have a translator handy
Yes! For ELD last year. Loved it.
A7. Get their email address and send follow-up Thank You.
I've also been working w/ lately to develop a student led conference w/the goal of raising community/parent awareness
A7: many of my parents who don't speak English bring their own translator, which helps a lot
--------------------> Q8 coming soon from
----------------------> Q8 What do you do after conferences to keep the conversation going with parents and students?
Disagree, society enables Ss, & resources to learn r more accessible ever-Ss need to be accountable
A7: all of our documents needed for pt conf come in English and Spanish
ClassDojo class story feature helps with visualizing
What does this look like? We are in year 2 of student-led conf
A8: Schedule additional meetings if needed. Communicate through and newsletters
we're still in the planning phase. Goal is for Ss to bring in thought leaders. Invite community to attend
Yes, always approach it as a team-Twitter, parents, Ss, and P -
A8 Continuing to add to the student portfolio and continue the focus on the student created goal.
Hopefully there would be a translator available
A8 The teachers at my site really use the Remind app to communicate regularly with parents. Very successful.
discuss important matters related to & increase community involvement in local elections
I hope to teach first grade, so I definitely want to use ClassDojo as a way to keep in contact with the parents
A8 get them involved w classroom activities, greet them whenever you see them. With tech so many ways to keep in touch
Would love to learn more about this!!
Seems like how we want to run our Genius Hour Exhibition days.
My daughters' elem T's use . Seems to work well for them.
A8: I use Remind text messages, hand-written notes in student Agenda books, follow up phone calls.
Would love to learn more about this!
Ss will own vast majority of the work. Identify speakers, ask driving questions, while raising awareness
A8 With students who face academic/behavior challenges,it is important to balance future contact with both + and goal setting conv
A8 it also helps that we’re a 1:1 iPad district, they see everything we’re doing in class
school board & Ps can be a barrier to progress & innovation. MUST change that for edu to move forward
I'm looking for Student Self-Evaluation & Reflections tools.
---->Q9: Bonus! Share any resources you have for student led conferences! How can teachers get started?
Our school board approved our innovative school idea! They can also be great partners!
if adults like me or you host this type of event, I'd guess few Ps will attend. If Ss own it? Dif result
And our Ps want us to exists! Proof is in the waitlist
Yep! They would bring their entire family :)
A9 definitely Seesaw, and Literacy folders. Those are my go to conference resources and their digital creations on iPads
Be sure to follow some new educators from the chat tonight to help grow your PLN
