Parent teacher learning conversation tIps

One of the hardest parts of being a teacher is the parent teacher interviews. Sometimes, they feel like a weighted pressure hanging over your head. It doesn’t get any easier as the years go by, I think that you learn to accept that it is [part of your job. Over the years and many interviews later, there are some things that I have found helped me and kept me focussed. I have had some wonderful parent teacher conversations and some really interesting ones. Here are some of the tips that I have found useful:
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Listen first: It sounds so simple yet is the hardest part. Parents all advocate for their children in different ways. When they speak, they often come from a place of having their child’s best interest at heart. Often just listening and hearing where they are coming from can help things run smoother. Parents can also leave knowing that they have been heard. 

Provide communication methods: Communication, like any relationship, will be central in working with families. You must find out the different ways that parents can be contacted. Phone numbers, emails and addresses need to be checked. It is tedious but vital to ensure that you have current and up to date contact details. 

Ask what they need: I find this useful. Parents will share what they need and why. Once you understand what their needs are, it can help clarify things from the start and put both parties on the same page. 

Ask what they value: I have found this helpful in recent years. Some families value kindness, hard work, persistence, resilience etc. The reason that this is helpful to know is it can be another tool in your toolkit. If I know for example, that a family values kindness, this can be a quick reminder to their child to refocus. Or if a family works on persistence, you can remind students that their family persists. 

Ask what works for them at home: I try to find out how parents communicate or address behaviours at home. It may not agree with you personally or the school but it does help give an insight into what students are used to at home. This again often helps as parents may have a saying or something that works at home that you can use in the classroom. 

These suggestions are just that, suggestions. I find them helpful for my context. We would love to hear some of your tips and tricks for parent teacher conversations. There is always one or two interviews that are tricky or surprise you. This is part of teaching. Relationships and positive interactions with families are vital for supporting students. After all, it does take a village to raise a child