Navigating Tricky Parent-Teacher Conferences When Time Is Short

Even though educators work hard to ensure that students are successful in their class, it’s inevitable that some students continue to struggle. This puts pressure on students, parents, and teachers. Parent-teacher conferences present an excellent opportunity to connect with families and develop a plan to get students back on track.

However, time is often limited at conferences. Preparing paperwork ahead of time and following a well-thought-out agenda can help. These ideas will help you fine-tune your conferences and lead an efficient and productive meeting when time is not on your side.

Design A Well-Thought-Out Agenda and Stick to It

After scheduling the conferences, create a custom agenda for your appointments. This document will help you organize your thoughts, focus on important issues, and shape the direction of the meeting. The key to a successful agenda is to allocate the right amount of time for the major item you plan to address. When time is limited, you don’t have the luxury of discussing every issue—think big-ticket items.

For example, if the student’s main setback is behavior, you are going to focus heavily on their conduct. You will want to make sure the lion’s share of the meeting is devoted to specific behaviors that have occurred in the classroom and how to address them.

welcoming Parent Feedback While staying on track

I have observed numerous meetings that veered off topic because the agenda was not followed. As a result, nothing was accomplished because time ran out. Although you welcome feedback from parents, sometimes the conversations go off topic and overtake the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, quickly share the agenda you have customized for the family. By doing this you remind the parents how much time you have allotted for each section of the conference and what is going to be covered. This is a great way to show parents that you value what they have to contribute but still have to keep to a schedule. When time is an issue, you have to prioritize.

Prepare The Data Ahead of Time 

Academic data, such as benchmark scores and work samples, are worthwhile items to share at parent-teacher conferences. They offer valuable insight into a child’s academic progress. However, simply throwing numbers at parents can cause confusion and lead to lots of questions. Instead, prepare talking points about what the data means. For instance, stating that a student scored a 583 on a reading test isn’t helpful. Instead, explain to the parent that 583 means the child is on a third-grade level, and they are three points away from being on a fourth-grade level.

This type of dialogue will naturally lead the parent to inquire about specifics, which in turn will drive the conversation and hammer home your point in a quick and efficient manner. Nonacademic data matters too. A large number of trips to the restroom, office referrals, and counselor visits add an extra dimension to the conversation and let parents see the total picture. Ultimately, sharing data can reinforce your concerns in a nonthreatening way so that solutions can be identified.

Wrap Up the Meeting

Concluding a parent meeting can be tricky. These strategies ensure that the meeting stays on schedule and ends on a positive note.

1. Develop a plan. When developing the plan to improve student performance, it’s important to let parents contribute their ideas and suggestions. After communicating the areas in which the child needs extra support, offer parents the opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions for how to fix them. Letting all parties contribute to the conversation not only lets you see different perspectives but produces shared ownership for addressing the issues. Letting parents be heard will give your meeting a feeling of positivity.

2. Finalize the plan. As an administrator, I have seen happy and satisfied parents leave conferences, only to find out a week later that there was a communication breakdown. It is absolutely necessary to summarize the meeting and highlight the joint plan that was developed for the student. To ensure clarity of the plan, leave room on your agenda to write down strategies that were identified when you developed the plan. For example, review how the parents can support the child at home  and what goals will be met. Take finalizing the plan to the next level and mail a copy of the plan to the parents. Failure to finalize the plan will result in unnecessary meetings in the future.

3. Stay in touch. Staying connected is vital to successfully implementing the plan you developed with guardians and students. Families need to be reassured that you are available to help them through their educational journey. A QR code that links to the school website, learning management systems, and other important sites makes it easy to keep all stakeholders connected. These handouts will add a special touch to your conference and a sprinkle of professionalism.

Students will sometimes struggle, and when they do, they need support from both teachers and parents. Parent-teacher conferences offer educators and guardians an opportunity to identify specific academic and behavior issues early so they can be corrected. Using time-saving strategies, preparing forms ahead of time, and following a structured agenda can help everyone work together to get students back on track, even when time is limited.