Parents, Guardians Let's Get Involved

Parent/guardian-teacher conferences are a staple in the relationship between school faculty, administrators, and the student’s caregiver. It is designed to bring answers to questions the parent/guardian may have about a child’s performance in school, and for the faculty member to gain better insight on behaviors which may occur in school.

This exchange of information is positive in several ways including parent/guardian having a better rapport with one another. All parties are able to help to identify any area where a child may be struggling, or even if a child may have a learning or developmental delay or other issues.

Before we can explore these positive factors, we must look at some ways to better the meetings between parent/guardian and the educator. Many times, parents/guardians see these conferences as an outlet for educators to vent about their child, however, most meetings, especially first meetings aren’t designed to go that route.

In order for a teacher to have a successful parent/guardian-teacher conference, a rapport between teacher and caregiver must be developed. Once the relationship is established, the parent will be more receptive of all feedback from the teacher, negative or positive. And if the parent is aware of a negative behavior, the critique will not be as frustrating to the parent.

According to Laureate Education, Inc. (2011), strong and clear communication between caregiver and educator is an important factor in having an effective parent/guardian-teacher conference. By establishing a clear understanding of rules and expectations, the parent will feel comfortable to discuss the student with that teacher.

Brandt (2003) suggests that including a number of assessments and evaluations in the conference will give the parent a clear and accurate understanding of the child’s performance. By adding the assessments and evaluations, parents can see where the child is strong or struggling and can then work with the educator to develop a plan to address the areas where the child struggles.

According to sources, starting a parent teacher conference with negative comments about someone’s child will lead to resentment, confusion, and frustration at the end of the visit. Therefore, first meetings and subsequent meetings are not designed to highlight negative issues unless of course, the behavior is constant and problematic.

If communication is not established or is unclear, it will inhibit a positive and effective parent/guardian-teacher conference. These meetings are crucial to show the child your level of involvement and commitment to their education. An active parent will have a better-behaved child than a non-active parent.

During the parent-teacher conference, parent and teacher work together to build strategies to assist struggling students and if necessary, they are able to gain the aid of an educational psychologist who will help the parent understand any process of testing or evaluation a teacher may suggest for a child identified as struggling or falling behind.

This partnership between faculty and family is set up in a way to better assist the child to promote growth and development and to see that the child advances without issue. An alliance is necessary for the child to be successful.

Some parent-teacher conferences in low income neighborhoods have abysmal turnouts not due to the lack of support from parents but because some parents must choose to work over going to conferences. Many employers are not flexible regarding these types of commitments and the parent ends up missing an important event.

Schools often have work arounds for employers who are not accommodating where they would give parents alternative options to engage faculty. Working together for the good of the child is the only way we can ensure success.

Chris Ricks

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