How to Prepare for a Successful Parent Teacher Conference

Parent teacher conferences do not need to be stressful for the teacher or the parents. Parent teacher conferences are a wonderful opportunity for families to meet with the teacher and learn about their child, the classroom, and the school environment. 

Why I Have Parent Teacher Conferences at The Start of The School Year 

Often a parent who has their first child in school, is unfamiliar with what the kindergarten curriculum is. This is why having parent teacher conferences early on in the school year is so important. Having a parent teacher conference at the end of the first trimester, is too late, in my opinion. If parents are informed early on in the school year about their students’ progress, they often will support their child’s learning at home. 

Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences

To prepare for my parent teacher conferences, I first assess my students on basic skills. These skills are part of our first trimester report card. To assess for these skills, I use ESGI. By using ESGI, I can quickly assess students. It also provides me with a parent-friendly printout that shows what student-s know and what they need to learn. I assess for letter names, letter sounds, sight words, number recognition, counting, one-to-one correspondence, and shapes identification. 

Parent Teacher Conference Notes 

I post conference sign-up forms outside my classroom door. The majority of my students are either brought to school or picked up by a parent. The conference sign-up sheets have a variety of days and times for parents to sign up. I also have specific days for Spanish Translation. Having designated days for translation makes it easy for the translator. For those parents who don’t sign-up I assign them to an open spot.  

Conference Reminders: On the day before our conference, I send home a reminder. I also keep the conference sheet posted outside my door. During conference time, I place two chairs outside of the classroom. I also have a sign posted outside my door that asks parents to wait outside until I invite them inside. 

How to Begin a Parent Teacher Conference 

• To start off my parent teacher conference, I begin by asking parents a few questions. Tell me about your child. 
• What do they like to do at home? 
• Who lives in the home? 

Next, I tell parents a few positive things I have observed about their child. Friendly, Kind, helpful, artistic, enjoys music or books, It is important to start off positively. 

Sharing the ESGI Results at Parent Teacher Conference Time 

Next, I share my ESGI results. I tell parents what the goals are for the first trimmest and what the end of the school year goals are. Depending on where their student is academically, I discuss ways in which they can support their child at home. 

You can sign up for a free trial of ESGI here- ESGI FREE TRIAL

Talking About Behavior Goals During a Parent Teacher Conference 

No parent wants to hear that their child is having behavior issues in school. However, if a child is having difficulty adjusting, it is important to discuss the issue during parent-teacher conference time. Together, come up with a plan that will be easy for you to implement and for the parent to follow through with at home. Reassure the parents that by working together, their child will be supported and will benefit socially, behaviorally, and academically. 

Final Steps of a Parent Teacher Conference 

At the End of the Parent Teacher Conference, I ask parents if they have any questions or concerns. Often parents have questions about school procedures such as snack or lunch. I take notes during this time, if there are questions I am not able to answer or if I need to make a referral for vision/hearing or speech. 

Once questions have been asked and answered, I thank the parents for coming and assure them that it is going to be an amazing school year for their child. 

All of these forms can be found in my Parent Teacher Conference Resource. This resource is in English and Spanish.