http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=425
Hello Everyone,
Just two items for this week:
• Parent/Teacher Conference Tips – With conferences coming up, here’s a good, though rather thick, research article from ASCD about parent/teacher conferences. If you wade through the article it does have some nice tips for teachers to keep in mind when conducting conferences, which I’ve conveniently listed for you below:
• Listen well, regardless of the situation.
• Balance constructive critiques with positive comments about the student.
• Make parents feel welcomed and relaxed. Parents are not on their turf; they may feel anxious or nervous.
• Inform parents that you, the teacher, will take notes during the conference so you can carefully address each of their concerns.
• Be cool and calm in everything you say and do. Your tone of voice and mannerisms can escalate or deescalate parent-teacher interactions.
• Be deliberate and realistic in what you promise a parent. Remember that you cannot feasibly call or e-mail several parents or caregivers every day.
• Collect data on what you say. Take note of how many questions you ask, how often you offer the parent encouragement, and how often you emphasize the ideas or suggestions that the parent brings to the conference.
• At all costs, do not use your authority as a teacher as a means of forcing your point of view.
• Interact with parents or caregivers to learn more about the student and to understand how the parent has been successful or unsuccessful with that student at home.
• Understand your role as a teacher and have a working knowledge of how other school professionals can support parents and students. Generic referrals to “seeing a guidance counselor” are not always necessary or appropriate.
• Conduct the conference in a warm, enthusiastic, and professional way. Teachers who appear apathetic, aloof, or begrudging will seldom foster successful relationships with parents and caregivers.• Email Usage Reminder – Remember that when you are using you 4J email that it is considered public record and parents, staff, and/or community members have the right to see what you’ve sent or received over district email. District policy G2300.10 – Staff E-mail Usage states:
All electronic mail records are considered District records subject to potential disclosure under the Public Records Act. Employees and students should have no expectation of privacy in their electronic communications.
So if you want to follow my rule of thumb for email (and also for my Facebook), don’t write anything that you wouldn’t want on the front page of the Register Guard.
Have a good week, everyone!
Allan