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.
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