The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
#PTchat: Parent–Teacher Conferences (Twitter, 10/16/13)
October 16, 2013
In this #PTchat hosted by Dr. Joe Mazza and sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), HFRP senior researcher Heidi Rosenberg is a special guest in the discussion on ways of holding meaningful parent-teacher conferences.
Questions included:
- What elements are necessary for a “perfect” parent-teacher conference?
- How can parents and teachers prepare for an upcoming parent-teacher conference?
- In what ways can administrators support parent-teacher conferences?
Comments included:
- The most meaningful conferences involve a two-way conversation, with parents valued as equal partners in supporting the student's learning, and the conversations end with clear action steps that the parent, teacher, and student can take to build on the student's strengths and address challenges.
- Parents can prepare by reviewing their child's work and creating a list of questions to ask the teacher about the child's progress.
- Teachers should lead with positive data on the student—parents need to hear good things about their child.
- Teachers can help families understand the role of out-of-school time learning in supporting student development.
- Administrators can provide professional development focused on family engagement and communication to improve the conference process.
- Teachers need to make student data actionable!
The full discussion begins with Joe Mazza posing question #1 at 9:08.
Enjoy the archive of this chat, Parent-Teacher Conferences with @HFRP, and folllow us on Twitter to stay informed of our future events!