Meet the Parents: Creating Positive Encounters

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Meet the Parents Creating Positive Encounters
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Ideal Parents
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Real World Parents

• Apathetic
• Autocratic
• Know-it-all
• Helicopter

• Hostile
• Permissive
• Royal
• Good Parents

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What Parents Want to Knowabout YOU!

• Do you really care about my child?
• Are you a competent professional?

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Other questions

• Do you respect
• me, my family, my culture, my situation, my
  vocation?
• How is my child doing in your class?
• in academics and in behavior
• What are my childs special strengths?
• Does my child have friends at school?
• How can I help my child at home?

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Variety of Perspectives

• Homework
• Family v. School
• Discipline v. Management
• Bedtime
• Nutrition
• Free time

• Individual v. Cooperative Work
• Pressure for academic performance
• Roles of teacher and parents in childs education

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Positive Impressions

• We have multiple opportunities to make a
  positive impression before conferences begin
• School-related, but not in class
• Notes home
• Phone calls
• Casual encounters
• Open House

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School-related, but not in class

• Where?
• Bus duty, lunch duty, in halls, etc.
• Sporting events, music/drama events, bake sales
• What do parents see when they see you?
• Helpful, friendly, relaxed?
• Professional dress and demeanor?
• Welcoming and supportive?

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First Note Home

• Send happy notes home early in year/semester.
• Use postcards, email, computer-printed, etc.
• Let students read the note.
• Positive notes more likely to reach home!
• This may be some parents first happy note about
  their childIt means a lot!

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First Phone Calls

• Lets talk!
• Which approach will be more effective?

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Casual Encounters

• Where? Supermarket, ball game, church, beauty
  shop, mall, etc.
• Be cordial and professional.
• Do not discuss grades or progress in public
  (confidentiality!).
• Do exchange pleasantries
• If desired, exchange contact info and set up a
  meeting or phone call...

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Open House

• Orchids
• Warm greetings
• Professional dress and demeanor
• Positive plans for class/course
• Contact information
• Sign-in sheet
• Answer Parents Top 2 Questions about You.

• Onions
• Lukewarm greetings
• Careless dress and demeanor
• Overwhelm with list of rules and negative
  consequences
• Ignore their efforts to attend
• Display them v. me attitude

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Parent Conferences

• Purpose determines conversation
• Academics, Behavior, IEP, Personal Matters
• Foundation work pays off here!
• Friendly, professional tone
• Remember the sandwich
• Listen, listen, listen!
• Patiently explain.
• Conclude with joint understanding.

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Useful Phrases

• It appears theres been some misunderstanding of
  the assignment
• Pat has such potential and I really want to
  help him/her succeed
• Its important to learn/do this because it will
  help Pat
• next semester, in next grade, get a job, apply
  for scholarships, go to college, in life

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Be Careful with These

• When discussing a childs scores/grades-
• Your child is above/below average
• The child is wonderful the score is average.
• Your childs scores are bad/good
• Bad/good are relative terms.
• Consider context.
• When writing comments on childs work
• Use positive, constructive tone only!

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More Teacher Talk

• Accentuate the Positive
• TeamworkTogether!
• Show Respect
• Value Students Success
• Put Safety First
• Changing Times
• Other Parents Expertise
• Listen to Mama/Papa Bear

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Positive Encounters Help Students

• Parents attitudes impact students attitudes
  about teacher, school, and self as a learner
• more completion of assignments better
  attendance better behavior in class
• higher goals for self

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Parents

• Create more positive views of teacher
• Feel like a partner on education team
• Learn more about educational programs at the
  school
• More willing to help in childs educational
  progress

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and Teachers!

• Teachers morale improves.
• Students behave better and have higher
  achievement.
• Parent encounters become pleasant.
• Parents support teacher, school and education
  (bond issues).

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The End

• Thank you for attending our session!