Conferences By Michelle

1. Always start and end with something nice about the child, no matter how hard it is to find something. It helps to get the parents on your side, and helps to not put them on the defensive.
2. Have a writing sample handy, explain what you are working on and where they need to improve.
3. If you are a teacher that has all subjects, try to hit on their progress in each area.
4. Discuss their behavior, whether appropriate or not and how they need to improve.
5. Remember, it is not necessarily WHAT you say, it is HOW you say it.
6. Do you have a cute or little funny story about their child? They love to hear that, it kind of lets them in on their child's world when they are not around.
Hope that some of this helps you out! Remember to stay calm - you are a professional, and you know what you are doing, even if you don't necessarily feel that way!!! Good luck!