Teacher Parent Conference

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Parent/Teacher Conference
Welcome
Welcome to the most exciting 180 days of your career.
Each fall brings with it the opportunity to touch the lives of young people and, in essence, change the course of
history. Whether you are a first-year teacher or a schoolhouse veteran, the promise of a new beginning makes
each and every year the most exciting yet.
For 125 years, Mead has been helping students and teachers get ready to go back to school. And through that
experience, we’ve come to learn a lot about the issues that teachers face.
Parent/teacher relationships, particularly parent/teacher conferences, can be one of the most challenging aspects
of education today. The combination of anxious parents and a nervous teacher can destroy even the best inten-
tions for communication.
Together with the help of Philip Bigler, 1998 National Teacher of the Year, we’ve developed the enclosed pieces to
help you make the most of the parent/teacher conference experience and improve overall communication. Inside,
you’ll find tips, worksheets, and handouts to help both you and the parents prepare for and make the most of
conference day and the school year.
We hope you find this packet full of useful information that helps you throughout your career. We also encourage
you to share your thoughts and ideas with us so that we can continue to develop tools that help you and your
students achieve success.
As partners in education, we need to work together to ensure that “no child is left behind.”
After all, school’s about a lot of things. At Mead, we’re all about the learning part.
MeadWestvaco Consumer & Office Products
Education Department
Sandra Cashman
Courthouse Plaza Northeast
Dayton, OH 45463
(937) 495-4073
Enclosures
Parent/Teacher Conference
Tools for School
To get any job done right, you need the proper tools. Inevitably, parents will
ask teachers for suggestions for tools that will help their child achieve in the
classroom. The following handout serves as a helpful guide for parents as
they shop for school supplies and reference materials.
Things to Consider when Shopping for School Supplies
•
Tradition –
Look for brands that have been around awhile. Was this brand around when you were a student? If
so, the company and the products have stood the test of time.
•
Reputation –
Reputable products are proven in the field, recommended by teachers as top performers, yet
trendy enough to be fashionable and desirable for students.
•
Guarantees/Warranties –
If the company stands behind its products, it will guarantee quality.
•
School Supply List –
If a specific brand is listed, there is a good reason – trust your teacher’s recommendation.
•
Cost vs. Price –
There is an old adage: “You get what you pay for.” In other words, you may pay a little more for
quality, but if the product lasts the entire semester, you may have actually saved money in the long run.
Product Benefits/Suggestions to Enhance Classroom Performance
•
Organization –
Since school can be chaotic at best, help enhance efforts to teach good organization skills. Make
sure students have the products that suit the teacher’s requirements and offer user-friendly ways to file, store,
and access assignments, notes, and other projects.
Product suggestions
:
expandable files, 3-ring binder systems, color-coordinated notebooks and folders
•
Reference –
While the Internet has opened infinite opportunities when it comes to
research, sometimes it is more convenient and effective to have just the resources
you need at your fingertips. Look for products that offer built-in reference guides
and study/learning enhancers.
Product suggestions
:
Intelli-Gear,
™
Subject-Specific notebooks and portfolios
•
Storage –
Good-quality products should be able to manage everything from
paper clips to homework – and lots of it. Look for products that can handle
little, large, and oddly shaped items.
Product suggestions
:
Zipper pouches with zippers that last, notebooks
with pockets for handouts, binders with multiple storage pockets and
pen/pencil holders
•
Creativity –
There is no better way for kids to express creativity than arts and crafts. Find ways to incorporate
artwork into school projects as well as activities at home.
Product suggestions
:
Wirebound craft kits and Binder Art,
®
notebooks and binders that allow students
to create their own designs
•
Portability –
Students today are on the go more than ever before. Test the size, shape, and weight of a product to see
if it will meet student needs and comfort levels. Remember to limit weight appropriately to avoid injury and fatigue.
Product suggestions
:
Fat li’l notebooks, self-contained supplies such as PRO
™
Punch ’N Store Binder
•
Durability –
Items designed to be moved from class to class and home to school and back need to be sturdy
enough to survive the semester.
Product suggestions
:
Notebooks with heavy-duty poly covers and backs that will last the semester, spiral
notebooks with coil locks that prevent snags and uncoiling, laminated folders
•
Fashion –
Kids make a statement with school supplies, just as they do with clothes, hair, and make-up. Letting
students express themselves by carrying fashionable supplies that meet their needs is a safe and easy way to
build self-esteem.
Product suggestions
:
Savvy colors, sleek lines, and unique textures and styles
Parent/Teacher Conference
Agenda Planner
Date ___________ Day ______________ Time _________________
Student____________________ Parent(s) _______________________
Achievements
- List major student milestones to share with parents
Challenges/Improvements
- Outline areas that need work or have room for improvement
Helpful Hints
- Suggestions for parents to help students achieve
Personalized Comments
- Stories/anecdotes to show a personal knowledge of each student
Parent Comments, Remarks, Concerns
- Make note of parent feedback throughout
conference
Follow-Up
- Outline any follow-up steps discussed at conference
Parent/Teacher Conference
Dealing with Common
Parent /Teacher Scenarios
There is no end to the list of possible encounters teachers will have with
students and parents throughout a school year. Certainly there are as many
different scenarios as there are class members. Undoubtedly, today’s teachers
are faced with increasingly complex and sensitive issues both in and out of the
classroom that affect student performance. However, as any veteran teacher will
tell you, there are certain situations that come up year after year that can almost be prepared for in advance to
minimize their effects on the teacher and the class.
Below, National Teacher of the Year 1998, Philip Bigler shares his insight on how to effectively deal with some
of the most common classroom situations.
“My Child Never Does That at Home...”
School and home are two totally different environments. In reality, school has not only an educational function
but a social one. Students are developing emotionally and physically, dealing with serious issues including
self-esteem, peer relationships, and academic challenges. I make it clear to parents that everyone has a right to an
education in my class and that means that I insist upon a respectful classroom environment. The rules we have in
the classroom ensure and enforce this expectation. No one, through his or her behavior, has the right to deny
another a safe and reasonable classroom climate.
Dealing with Challenging Family/Emotional Situations
Students often come to school burdened by difficult family and personal situations. It is important to have a good
rapport with your students and to be aware of these things while still maintaining a professional demeanor. Young
teachers often want to be “friends” with students. This is dangerous because it blurs the teacher/student relationship.
Undue emotional stress will interfere with classroom performance, and it helps to be sensitive to these matters.
Divorce, serious illness, and death are all too common in today’s society. A good teacher is flexible enough to help
a child through such times by making legitimate accommodations. This often means revising schedules, modifying
assignments, and adjusting grading. There is, however, a big difference between serious problems and the routine
difficulties encountered as part of growing up, and it is important to make that distinction. Always remember that a
caring teacher can be the single most meaningful person in a child’s life during such crises.
Addressing Behavioral Problems
The hardest part of teaching for new educators is dealing with student behavior.
No amount of college course work can adequately prepare you for the daily realities
of the modern classroom. First, you must recognize that virtually all teachers have
encountered student discipline problems at some point in their careers. Second,
you get better at dealing with such situations through experience.
Be consistent and firm in dealing with discipline. You must also correct inappropriate
behavior when it occurs. At the same time, be sure that the student understands
that you dislike the behavior, not the person. I try to convey to the students that
I will correct them and then forgive them.
The golden rule is not to lose your temper. Anger is the LEAST effective way of
dealing with student discipline problems. As hard as it may be, you must not
take behavioral issues personally or see them as a sign of personal failure.
Seek the advice of other teachers, counselors, and administrators. The
administration should not be involved in routine matters, but if a
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