How Teachers Work with Parents?

1. How Teachers Work with Parents?

2. On the Record 1.Na-Na-Na, Hey-Hey, Goodbye 2. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow 3. Let’s Get It On 4. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me 5. Stayin’ Alive Top 5 Songs describing Parent Teacher Conferences

3. Objectives • To provide strategies for teachers to use in Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences • To provide communication tips to teachers and to provide ways for teachers to keep communication lines open with parents • To provide strategies to use in difficult Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

4. * When the Tables are Turned • List three attitudes that you have recently encountered in your dealings with a customer service representative, in person or on the phone, that “made you mad.” • Specifically describe your feelings and physical reactions. • What behaviors and attitudes would have made your experience more satisfying and positive?

5. Respect

6. R-E-S-P-E-C-T • Who is the expert? • Parents- • Understand what motivates them • Their strengths • Their weaknesses • Dreams and worries • Teachers • Their learning styles • Age appropriate skills • Developmental milestones • Educational progression • What does R-E-S-P-E-C-T mean to parents? • Hope • Sincerity • Honesty

7. Brainstorming Brainstorming Rules: • Quantity of ideas, not quality • Be creative and out of the box • Make no critical comments or evaluative remarks • Accept all suggestions

8. *Brainstorming Activity • Develop a list of actions or attitudes of teachers that would demonstrate to observers that they truly believe that parents are important and valued members of the school team.

9. R-E-S-P-E-C-T Before the Conference 1. Be prepared to ask questions about your student. Tapping into the parents’ understanding of their child will give you vital insight. 2. Be prepared to answer typical questions. You might even send out forms ahead of time to elicit parents’ concerns. (See Pre-Conference Form handout) 3. Be prepared with the students’ opinions of how school is going. (See Student Centered Report card Handout) 4. Be prepared to use specific comments, evidence, and everyday language. (See Comment Ideas handout) 5. Be prepared to stay on time. Everybody’s time is valuable. 6. Be prepared to be on the same team. Voice your concerns AND listen to suggestions. Parents should be treated as equals. 7. Be prepared to take notes so you don’t forget the agreed upon strategy!

10. WEBSITES • Preconference • http://www.teachingheart.net/CDPRECONFERENCEFORM.doc • Student Centered Report Card • http://www.teachingheart.net/CDSTUDENTREPORTCARD.doc • Report Card Comments • http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/align/reportsam/

11. R-E-S-P-E-C-T During the Conference 1. Relay positive comments about the student’s personality and the unique qualities they have that you admire. 2. Express one or two areas the student needs to work on and provide evidence. 3. Share any classroom observations, information on learning styles, academic standards, grade-level expectations, or other resources you have that will point towards a plan. 4. Put an action plan together with the parent’s input and their own observations about their child. 5. Encourage the parent to ask questions and give them the time to do so. 6. Close the conference with a review of the plan and the agreed upon timeline. 7. Thank the parent for their involvement in their child’s education.

12. R-E-S-P-E-C-T During the Conference • Listen to what parent has to say • Start your conversations with parents by saying "You are your child’s first teacher.” • Spend a few minutes greeting the parent and thanking them. • Mention about the implementation of the comprehensive curriculum. Let parents know that the state has required a more rigorous curriculum. The curriculum is paced to ensure that all material that is covered on the state tests will be covered. • Close with thanking parent for giving up their time. • Ask the best way to contact the parent during the year. • Offer the parent a way to contact you. • Listen to what the parent has to say!

13. R-E-S-P-E-C-T After the Conference 1. Follow through on explaining the plan to the student. 2. Follow through on the plan you put in place. 3. Follow through in communicating the progress your student is making. Make phone calls and notes home routine. 4. Follow through on changing the plan as the student changes. • Follow through on expressing thanks and R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the parents’ ideas!

14. COMMUNICATION is the Key

15. *Norm: Open and Honest Communication with Parents • What practices or conditions could you use in your classroom to strengthen this norm? • What practices or conditions in your classroom would weaken this norm? • What is your vision of what this norm would look like at its best? • What would you be willing to do to attain this norm?

16. Communicate-Communicate • Invite both parents. • Make contact early. • Allow enough time • Be ready for questions • Get your papers organized in advance. • Plan ahead • Greet parents near the entrance they'll use

17. Communicate-Communicate • Get the name right. • Avoid physical barriers • Open on a positive note • Structure the session • Be specific in your comments • Offer a suggested course of action. • Forget the jargon

18. Communicate-Communicate • Turn the other cheek • Ask for parents' opinions • Focus on strengths • Use body language • Stress Collaboration • Listen to what parents say • Ask about the child

19. Communicate-Communicate • Focus on solutions. • Don't judge. • Summarize. • Wind up on a positive note. • Meet again if you need to • Keep a record of the conference.

20. Reach Out and Touch

21. Reach Out and Touch- Ways to Keep Lines of Communications Open • Phone Home • The Written Word • Newsletters • Open Letters to Parents • Personal Notes • Class Homepage

22. Hard Days Night

23. A Hard Days Night:The difficult Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences Before the Conference Document the difficulties. • Keep a log of the child's unusual or disruptive behavior. • Keep track of the child's grades and missing assignments. • Keep a record of all communications with parents. • Keep notes and records concerning the child's behavior in other classrooms. Communicate your concerns early. Solicit others' support. Test out tactics.

24. Thedifficult Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences At the Conference • Welcome with warmth. • Put it in writing. • Weigh your words • Allow for anger. • Seek parents' suggestions • Have responses early. • Partner with your principal.

25. Thedifficult Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences After the Conference • Keep communicating. • Don't forget the follow-up.

26. * Think-Pair Share • What do you think will be your biggest challenge dealing with parents? • What strategies will you use when dealing with parents?

27. Each child possesses their very own exclusive collection of gifts • http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/