The Do's and Don't of Parent - Teacher Conferences

                                                                                          Question:

What are some communication do’s and don’ts when communicating with parents? Identify and rationalize two do’s and two don’ts when having a parent-teacher conference: 

                                                                                            Answer:

                           Parent-Teacher Conferences

Communication Dos during Parent Teacher Conferences

Emphasize on the fundamental roles that parents have towards their children’s education (Kroth & Edge, 2017). This ought to be accompanied by the utilization of facts and statistics to determine their crucial contribution to the learners’ academic performance. The essence is to appreciate their roles and cautiously highlight on areas that need improvements; hence quickly securing their backing. An excellent example is properly explaining the appropriate developmental activities; thus allowing parents to understand what you expect and how to better handle their children while at home. Secondly, always begin the conversation by giving positive remarks about their children despite them being one of your most academically and behaviorally challenging learners. This tends to create a constructive atmosphere by assuring the parents that you understand and care about their children (Kroth & Edge, 2017). Moreover, negative remarks will be viewed as constructive feedback and thus result in cooperative parents and a positive outcome. 

Communication Don’ts during Parent Teacher Conferences

Avoid an authoritative approach but ensure the communication process is formal and respectful. The primary objective of parents-teachers communication is to facilitate working together in guaranteeing the proper wellbeing of students. An impersonal perspective can result in alienation and divisiveness due to the lack of warmth, personality or emotional connection to the learners (Kroth & Edge, 2017). Therefore, it is paramount to be inclusive in a genuine and concerned manner to gain the respect and trust of the parents. Secondly, avert conversing about other learners by limiting the conversation to the primary participants regardless of whether the parents bring them up. The allocated time during these conferences are extremely short and hence should comprise of meaningful discussions without the need for constant comparisons. 

References

Kroth, R., & Edge, D. (2017). Parent-Teacher Conferences. Focus On Exceptional Children, 40(2). doi: 10.17161/fec.v40i2.6828