In the Trenches Talking to Parents, Talking to Teachers
11 snips
Oct 29, 2025 Parent-teacher conferences can often feel dull, but a little preparation can transform them into meaningful discussions. By avoiding vague questions and using targeted prompts in pre-conference emails, parents and teachers can engage more deeply. Incorporating student questionnaires offers invaluable insights into student attitudes and behaviors. This unique approach helps bridge gaps between home and school perspectives, fostering a richer dialogue about education. Tune in for tips on turning routine meetings into impactful conversations.
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Vagueness Kills Conference Value
- Vague questions like "How's my son doing?" nearly always produce unhelpful, bland answers.
- Conferences need focused issues to yield meaningful information beyond "he's doing fine."
Prep Parents With A Preconference Email
- Send parents an email before conferences that explains you want more than vague chit-chat and ask them to prepare specific topics.
- Tell parents to discuss a few things with their child so the meeting starts on the same page.
Tired Of Shallow Conferences
- Joshua Gibbs recounts growing tired of repetitive, shallow parent conversations that only sought assurance nothing was wrong.
- He changed practice by requiring parent preparation and targeted questions to make meetings substantive.