These guidelines can be applied to almost any scheduled conference with a family but are especially intended for use during planned conference days. Conference days are indicated on the school calendar.
- Schedule each conference for a set amount of time (usually 15-30 minutes). Let the parent(s) know this at the beginning of the conference so that they are mindful of the time. If it looks like more time will be needed, schedule another conference.
- Request both parents to attend the conference.
- Be cordial, polite and thank the parents for coming. Open the conference in prayer.
- Be prepared for the conference: know what is necessary to cover and allow time for questions and discussion. Have a folder of the student’s work to use to illustrate the points.
- Be positive, especially in the case of a challenging student. Enlist the parent’s help and ideas on ways to improve the situation. Seek more ways for the home and School to complement each other.
- Be direct—state concerns or questions plainly. Too much time is wasted on vague references and many times the point is lost or misunderstood. The best way to accomplish this is to have the student’s applicable work, or similar examples, to show the parents. The more concrete the reference, the better. Keep records/work on file.
- Sit with the parents. It helps to open communication if there is an atmosphere of sharing. Talk to both parents.
- Stay to the point, don’t go off on tangents or reveal personal private information. If there is not much to discuss related to the school, say so, thank them, and prepare for the next conference.
- Listen carefully to the parents. They may say much without saying so directly. It may provide insight into the child. Ask open-ended questions, when appropriate.
- Write down any action or objectives for the coming quarter. At the end of the conference, remind the parents of any specifics.
- Be sure to write down and follow up on any concerns or questions that will take some research.
- Never discuss another student during a conference, even if it is positive. If the discussion relates to interactions between students, advise that no specifics about the other student can be discussed due to their right of privacy. Steps taken to protect the student being discussed can be addressed. If another student is the subject of the discussion, confer with the headmaster or division head on how to speak to the matter without revealing confidential information. In a bullying or harassment scenario, discussion related to another student may be unavoidable. In this situation, the headmaster or division head should be present at the meeting with the parents. Parents talk to each other, and it is easy to cause unintentional offense through second-hand conversations.