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My take aways are:1. Conferences open the lines of communication between parents and teachers.2.  If you are going to share a problem with the parent, be ready with a solution.

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My take aways are:1. Conferences open the lines of communication between parents and teachers.2.  If you are going to share a problem with the parent, be ready with a solution.

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"If the only reason we hold conferences is to talk about grades, then teachers are complicit in elevating grades over learning".  This really spoke to me.  We don't only teach curriculum.  We teach the whole child.  Building relationships with the student and family is key!Avoid Jargon - There are so many times that I sit down with a parent and tell them that I had to go back to college to understand the data that I send home.  I explain the information in parent friendly terms.  Teachers are fluent in three languages, teacher language, student language and parent language!

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"If the only reason we hold conferences is to talk about grades, then teachers are complicit in elevating grades over learning".  This really spoke to me.  We don't only teach curriculum.  We teach the whole child.  Building relationships with the student and family is key!Avoid Jargon - There are so many times that I sit down with a parent and tell them that I had to go back to college to understand the data that I send home.  I explain the information in parent friendly terms.  Teachers are fluent in three languages, teacher language, student language and parent language!

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1 - Conferences are a opportunity to meet with parents and learn more about their child outside of the classroom.  This often allows insight into what you see occuring/taking place in the classroom.
2- Always start with a positive and end with a positive. Make sure parents understand that is about teamwork between the parent and teacher.

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1st Take Away- Take the opportunity to learn. Ask the parents to help you as teacher how you can better support the student.

2nd Take-Away-Always be solution oriented. Always convey a growth mindset.

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Take Away 1  Share with parents positive things FIRST and make sure that the parents KNOW that you are invested in the education of their child

Take Away 2 Have comments (written if possible) from the student about how he thinks he's doing in class...Share what the student likes/dislikes, their successes that they feel are happening at school or home.

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1- discuss ways to elevate student learning
2- discuss what learning methods are effective for the child
3- be prepared with answers and solutions!!!

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Take Away #1
Conferences should not  just be about grades!  I feel like that was the main thing parents wanted from our 3rd grade conference.  I can't blame them because of all the testing done - to the parents, that is what it seems like.  I fell into that trap.  I wish I would have taken the lead to tell parents what I know about their child - not just The Scores!

Take Away #2
I love the idea of student lead conferences. Conferences are about the student: How does the student feel like they are doing? Does the student feel like they need help in anything in particular?
Allow them to tell parents what they like & dislike about.
There is work students have in their notebooks that don't go home - I would love for students to share this work with their parents.  A student conference would be great for this.

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Take Away #1
Teachers should share stories about what each student does in class.  I related to the part that said, "...when my son's 8th grade English teacher showed us sketches of cars Alex drew in his journal during free-writing."  This is always my icebreaker.  If it's IEP meetings or in-class parent-teacher conferences, I always try to keep it positive with anything the child can do - whether it be curricular or special interests.
Take Away #2
Be Solution Oriented
I had a great connection to this section.  I especially liked the part that read, "A teacher could say:  'I'm concerned because your son is often distracted...Here's what I'm doing to try to help him.'"  Just because a student is easily distracted or hyperactive does not mean he/she needs medication.  (I'm seeing, more often than not, parents turning down this road - even doctors writing prescriptions for IEPs.) Maybe it's the way the information is taught or how the student is relating to the information. A simple change could mean all the difference.

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1st take away is to share with the parents who you are and how much you enjoy teaching their child. Share funny stories, creative projects or their attitude toward others to show that you pay attention and care. The statement in the article that hit home was "parents come to get a deeper sense of who's spending time with their kids."
2nd take away is prepare and allow parents to share with you prior to your meeting what they need clarification on. Scholastic has a parent letter that asks what the parent wants to talk about and that would help me know what I need to prepare and share with them. I always assume they want to talk grades, maybe they want to talk about behavior or struggles with homework. I will be mindful of that prior to my next meetings.

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Take away 1 - There is always something positive and praise-worthy to say about EVERY child.

Take away 2 - Ask your students how they think they are doing.

Take away 3 - Student led conferences are evidence that there is a shift in what conferences should feel like and accomplish.

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Parent-Teacher conference is a great time to listen to your parents talk about their students. A lot can be learned by listening to a parent. The parent has so much valuable information about the student that can help the student grown in the classroom. That time spent with the parent is also a great time for the teacher to share their knowledge of the student. Letting a parent know that you care about their student is a key piece to building and maintaining that relationship.

Show them! Parents love to see examples of what teachers are talking about. Showing the parent evidence of what their student is doing well in and where they need help is a perfect way to get your message across. A lot of times what you as a teacher are talking about may not make since to the parent, but when you show them, they have a clear picture.

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Take Away # 1
Always start with a positive story about the child.
Take Away # 2
Listen to parents' concerns and work together to solve them.

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Take Away#1
Two-way communication is the key.  Find out as much information about the student as possible. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Take away #2
Put time into your conference and be prepared. Always show that you are both on the same team. Start with what the student does well and end with what they do well. Ask the parents if they have any concerns.

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Take away 1 - two way communication, give positives, share stories about child from class, share how child likes to learn in class, and tell them the truth.
Take away 2  - be positive, be prepared for conferences (sticky notes are best to tag items to share), ask for support if needed, convey a growth mindset and be positive,  listen to parents questions, show that you care (lead with positive and end with positive).

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Take Away 1--  It is so important to establish positive relationships/connections with your parents and students.  Conferences should be so much more than discussing academic progress.
Take Away 2--  Your parents are your most valuable asset! They know their children best.  Ask questions about their children regarding interests, learning styles, etc.  Remember to keep the conference comfortable and neutral.  Include students in the process!
-Veilleux

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Take Away 1- Conferences are also a place for parents to tell teachers things about their child. How he likes to learn. What she says about the class at home. How he enjoys spending free time.--After a good conference, both the parent and teacher know more about how things could be better.   I completely agree with this. Conferences are not about just going over data and discussing grades-let the parents tell you more about their children.
Take Away 2-Prepare and have a goal for your conferences. We want parents to see and know what we have going on in the classroom, but it is also important that we have that goal in order to communicate it well with parents.

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Take Away #1
Conferences should be that moment where the teacher is able to read the parent and see the other side of the student. Casually nudge the parent into talking about the student at home. What an eye opener!   Being able to talk casually about the student is very important, and we must make time for it if we truly want to read and help the student succeed at their level.
Take Away #2
Always begin positive and end positive. A parent can sense a teacher's sincerity the way a cat can sense movement.  If we as teachers can't discuss the good things about a student, then we need a different career. Each student has something grand and amazing to bring to the table. We need to let the parents know that we see "the amazing" within their child as well. We should work as an "educational family" with the parents to bring out the best in the student.

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Take Away 1: Conferences should never focus solely on grades.  Instead, it should focus on learning. We should never make grades more important than learning. When students are learning, the grades will follow.

Take Away 2: Allow parents to speak freely on any given topics about their child. Do not lead the conference. Instead, allow for open communication. When parents are given the opportunity to speak about more than just academics, it gives you the chance to learn more about their child. In doing so, it can help you meet their child's needs not only academically, but also at much more personal level.

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Take Away 1- Teachers should always include at least one anecdote or narrative about the student's behavior as a learner. This shows we are paying attention to the child and what he or she values and is interested in.

Take Away 2- Have a goal or objective for each conference. Know what you want the outcome of the conference to be and stay organized. Plan what you want to share ahead of time.

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Take Away # 1 - Conferences are an opportunity for 2 way communication - not just for the teacher to talk. Parents need to feel free to share things about their child - their likes and dislikes, their struggles...and the 2 can work together in order to help the child succeed.

Take Away # 2 - Welcome every parent as your strongest ally in working with your student (their child) - I love this because the parent knows their child better than anyone else. They can be your strongest helper when trying to figure out why things are going a certain way in class. Approach parents with positive assumptions, and work together for the child.