DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Productive Parent Teacher Conferences: A P/T Form That Helps!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Productive Parent Teacher Conferences: A P/T Form That Helps!:

Productive Parent Teacher Conferences: A P/T Form That Helps!

Year after year, I have tried to find a way to make my conferences more productive. I had attempted to find a way to share information with my parents so they had a clear understanding of where their child is. I had always felt frustrated, when after a parent had gone , and I would think, “Oh, I forgot to tell her/him….”  


A few years ago I created a form based on  some of the questions from a worksheet that my  Phi Delta Kappa sorer shared with me. There have been some revisions over the last two years, and I am sure there will be more.  The  first question I asked  is ” What are your concerns or comments?” This allowed my parents a chance to voice their concerns first.

We completed the form, using the questions to guide the conference and open discussion between myself and the parent. I felt that the form  answered questions parents have, but  forget or don’t think to ask. 

The following marking period, I reviewed  the first form with the parent, to see how it compared to the current marking period. 

After the form was completed, the parent signed it, providing not only a written document of what we discussed, but a guide for the parent.

When I used the form,  the conference moved along smoothly.  It is important to remember that it is a guide, not the end all and be all of the conference. I tried typing this year, but I gave up after the first parent. I didn't feel as if I was giving them my full