This is a good opportunity to learn about their communication styles. In a group situation, professionals practice active listening and clarifying, developing new strategies for communication. Send notes home or make quick phone calls about children's positive behavior that has come from something the parents are doing well. This information was taken from the Parent-Professional Partnership Training curriculum of the Center for Human Investment Policy. Conferences should be scheduled on a regular basis for all parents, not only for those whose children are experiencing problems.
Parents provide important perspectives and information that can be extremely valuable.
Teachers need the help of parents to do the best possible job of educating every child and can help parents play an active education role at home. Conferences are successful when teachers and the school system create a climate that invites collaboration with parents. Creating this climate involves planning and effort. The following suggestions indicate ways in which teachers and school systems can maximize the effectiveness of parent-teacher conferences before, during, and after the conference. Use in-service meetings to orient teachers to the system's goals for conferences.