It is that time of year again when parent teacher conferences are taking place! I recently had the opportunity to observe a parent-teacher conference and was left generally unsatisfied with this experience! The entire conference between the parent and teacher took a total of 10 minutes, the parent only had one opportunity to ask questions and the teacher appeared to be rushed!
I understand that there is not enough time in a day for a teacher to sit with a parent for a long period of time and touch upon every detail of the student’s education. My question for you is this then, do you think that 10 minutes is enough time for both parent and teacher to discuss everything about a student? Do you think that the time given for parent-teacher conference should be lengthened?
When I observed this meeting, the teacher touched upon the student’s progress in writing and math. Do you think that each subject should be discussed during this meeting? Finally, are there any other alternatives teachers can utilize in order to stay in touch with parents? As a future teacher what method of conferences do you prefer and how does this method benefit parent, teacher and student?
You raise a good point Jenn.
ReplyDeleteAlthough ten minutes may be too much time, or too little, I think it depends on what conditions the student has been through within the clasroom. If the child has a severe mental or physical disability, for example, I could see why time dedicated in the conference should be longer. It is also a matter of pointing out the positives as well as the negatives too. Often, teachers become distracted with all pf the issues the child s facing, whether or not their disability is severe, and tend to forget what the child does good. I think this can make the conference a bit hard to deal with as parents as well, leaving the time spent on talking about the student almost useless.
As far as the subjects, I think if the parent is open to learning about their progress in each subject, then by all means go ahead and talk! As I said before, the more positive talk about a parents child is being done will even ou with what they are struggling with.
As I observed my cooperating teacher this semester, there was a young boy who suffered greatly with paying attention, and she believed he had ADHD. She had conferenced with his parents prior before parent teacher conferences were even scheduled, and they proposed that every time their son would act up, she should take down notes and send them weekly emails on his behavior. Maybe this could be something you could do as well? Staying in touch with parents through emails and notes can be very helpful.
Depending on the child and situation 10 minutes can be enough for a parent teacher conference. If a child is doing exceptionally well in school without any behavioral issues a teacher may not have to sit with their parents for too long. However, other students with academic and behavioral issues will most likely need more time. I believe that teachers should allot a specific time for each student during conferences, if the minimum is 10 minutes, I would allocate 10 minutes to the students that I have no negative remarks about; however, for my other students I would allocate more time depending on what needs to be discussed between the parent and I. If parent conferences are too short, then a teacher can have a meeting during or after school with the specific parents, like during their prep periods. Other methods of communication with parents are directly by phone and through email. Today teachers and parents can even Skype with one another if they can not meet in person and conference in that manner.
ReplyDeleteI do think that parent-teacher conferences should be allotted time slots of about 20 minutes. This way, the teacher has enough time to going over things like behavioral issues, academic struggles, or other observed behaviors that might indicate that a student may need support or services. However, I do understand with classrooms becoming more and more crowded, teachers having to stay later to work on paperwork, and parents often having to work multiple jobs, it can be difficult to appropriate a more lengthy amount of time to parent-teacher conferences.
ReplyDeleteThere are other ways that teachers can (and should) stay in touch with parents. In a more general sense, teachers can maintain a class blog and/or website so parents can read about and see what is going on in the classroom. Teachers can send home a weekly letter to parents stating what will be learned during the week as well as listing and explaining upcoming homework assignments and projects. For a more student-specific method, the teacher can send home a weekly behavior/academic chart charting the students' behavior each day, any academic successes or struggles, and any questions or concerns the teacher has. All of these methods must also include the teacher being willing to receive parent questions, concerns, and feedback. Teachers also need to make sure they are answering notes, emails, and phone calls from parents in a timely and respectful manner in order to maintain an open line of communication between school and home.
I agree with Tiffany, I think that students who are doing exceptionally well in school, do not need that much time for conferences. During my observations, the conferences last month look place on a half day; usually the teachers have two half days to meet with parents. Because the time was so crunched, my coop told me that she wasn't even going to meet with the students parents who really did not need a conference. She sent home notes saying a conference was not needed at this time, but if the parent wanted one of course she would meet with them. Students that are having a hard time in school or are becoming a behavior problem should have more time set aside to meet with the parents and discuss thoroughly what is going on. I think you should never rush through conferences, you can miss certain points you want to voice to the parents or you might just make them a little ticked off by rushing while talking about their child.
ReplyDeleteLauren Jarvis
I think that there should be better time allotments for conferences, however, I do understand how difficult it may be for both parents and teachers to find enough time to discuss anything in regards to students. I think that it is good to allow parents/guardians the option to not come to conferences, especially if the teacher already has a rapport with them. I think that conferences should cover academic progress as well as behavioral observations, if necessary. I think that parents/teachers could also communicate via email or phone, depending on the circumstances. At the out of district placement I work in, the students have communication journals to go back and forth between school and home. This is not realistic in a typical, public classroom, but for small classrooms (like where I work, and there are only about seven students per classroom-with at least one adult to every two students), although it may be a good idea for special education students.
ReplyDeleteMy cooperating teacher has parent-teacher conference time-blocks for 20 minutes. For every student, the teacher should be able to discuss the student's progress in class. As in, what are his or her strengths and what are his or her weaknesses? What is the teacher trying to work on with the student?
ReplyDeleteMy teacher has an index card for each child with those points to discuss with the parent. They are substantial, but brief enough that it allows the parent to discuss with the teacher about their child or ask any questions. If there are no questions from the parent, then so be it, but I think it's important the teacher allows that time for the parent to talk. The teacher should also not appear to be rushing in the conference!
I actually thought the same thing when I observed a parent-teacher conference. The conference lasted 10-15 minutes but it seemed rushed to me! The teacher also only discussed the student's progress in math, writing, and reading. I think it would be more informative and beneficial if the conferences could be lengthened, but time is always a problem. I agree with Tiffany, I feel that students who are doing exceptionally well in school might not need a long conference, so if those conferences were shorter, that time can go to parents who need longer conferences. I think that each subject should be touched upon, but the subjects that the students struggle most with should be focused on. I think that if the conference is not long enough, the teacher and parent can plan to meet another time after or before school. Phone conferences are also another option if a meeting cannot take place.
ReplyDeleteI was able to sit in on parent-teacher conferences this semester, too, however, I had a more positive experience with them. Each meeting was about 15-25 minutes and it seemed as though both the parents and teacher had plenty of time for questions and discussions about student progress. I noticed that when each parent left their conference, they seemed to feel a sense of relief or satisfaction, almost as if they were worried about something but the teacher cleared it up for them. Some parents asked about specific content areas, where as others questioned their social abilities to ensure they were making friends. All of the parents I met with were very proud of the accomplishments their child was making. I can definitely see where you are coming from though. 10 minutes is a short period of time when it comes to discussing the progress of a student. I have noticed that the parents in my classroom use email and just simple notes in their child's folder to keep in constant contact with the teacher. Additionally, the teacher makes it clear that she is always available to set up extra meeting times if the parent feels it is necessary. Hopefully the parents in your room get the answers they are looking for from their child's teacher!
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