Parent Teacher Conference Survival Post

I can't believe parent teacher conference season is already upon us.  It feels like it was just the first day of school and now we are already ready for conferences.  How is this even possible?!  Time flies when you are having fun, or when you are super stressed and want more time.  Here is a little survival post.  Take the ideas that work.  This shouldn't be a time to stress.  It should be a meaningful time to meet and communicate with parents.  Let this little post help you stay calm and communicate away.

Before Conferences

Make sure you are giving out grades based on the standards and not based on what the parent will think of you if you grade them low or high.  A member on my grade level developed a rubric and we gave grades based on the rubric.  It really helps for everyone get on the same page.  We want to set students up for success and we want to give parents a clear picture of how their child is doing.  It does not help to inflate grades or deflate grades based on emotion (although there has been times when I am like, "Man, if I just give this kid a high grade I won't have to hear a rant about why I am such horrible teacher and how little Johnny was doing amazing last year, and now he is failing, so it must be my fault.")  If we are all grading based on the standards we will be setting that child up for success.

Make sure you notify your parents with plenty of time before the actual conference.  Some of you may work in schools where it is very hard to get parents to show up to conferences.  I understand.  I have been there.  I offer my students a really BIG incentive for getting their parent to the conference, and low and behold, they all show up.  Do what you have to do to get them to come to the conference.  You will also want to send a reminder the day of the conference as well.  I know as a parent I really appreciate the extra reminders.

During Conference Week

Okay, everyone has been notified and it is conference week.   I like to set up a space that is comfortable for adults to sit in my classroom.  I usually clear off my teacher desk (I don't use it much as a 2nd grade teacher) and get comfortable chairs for parents to sit in.  I know you can sit on the tiny 2nd grade chairs at the small group table and that works too, but I like to be comfortable since I'm going to be sitting for awhile.  I also like to set up an area outside my room for early arrivals.  I put water bottles out with some reading material.  Put a sign on your door as well.  That way they won't be wondering where you are.  If your door is closed, you are inside doing a conference.  Be mindful of your scheduled times.  If you only scheduled twenty minutes, make sure you keep to twenty minutes.  If your parent showed up late, then you need to make sure you shorten the conference, so your next parent has enough time to conference with you.  You can set a timer if you aren't facing the clock.

I do twenty minute conferences with five minutes in between them, so I can review paperwork.  Here is the schedule I use for a typical conference:

Positive Reinforcement- always start with stating something positive about the child	1-2 Minutes
Going Over Report Card – Give your parents a couple minutes to look through the report card or go through it with them quickly, ask them if they have any questions.	5-7 Minutes
Go Over Assessment Data – Take some time to go over the test data you have gathered to determine their grades	5-7 Minutes
Question and Answer Time – Always ask the parents if there are any questions or concerns	1-5 Minutes (depending on the parent)
Give them a Tool to Take Home – Always give the parent a document that they can take home and use to support their child at home	1-2 Minutes

I think the starting with a positive comment about the child is the most important thing to do.  Many parents just want to know that you care about their child, and giving them that positive comment (no matter how hard it may be) is really important.  It really sets the stage for the rest of the conference.

After the conference

Keep a list of notes you gathered during conferences and make sure you honor requests from parents in a timely fashion.  It really makes a difference to validate their concerns or  give them extra support if needed.

Take a breath, it is over, unless you have to do two conference sessions a year.  This is my first year in over ten years of teaching that I only have do conferences once.  Happy dance!!!  It is important to keep communication with parents open even if you are not formally meeting, but conference week is a great way to open that communication.

If you are still overwhelmed, I have a product that may be of help to you on my Teacher's Pay Teachers store.  Check it out here http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Parent-Teacher-Conference-Survival-Kit-BUNDLE-1516339!

Wishing you the best conference week EVER!!!!!

Tomorrow's Teacher

Back to School Night - An Online Tutorial

The time is near.  Not only must we have a perfectly coiffed classroom ready for students to learn and be excited about, we have to get ready for the dog and pony show, aptly named Back to School Night.  Dun, dun, dun!!!

As a new teacher, I would break out into day and night sweats, panicking about what I would say or do during this extra hour in the classroom.  I thought the kids were hard to please, what about the parents?  What would they think of me?  Would they judge me on my looks?  Or my nervous twitches I do when I am nervous?  Would they be accepting of my policies and procedures?  Ten years in, I still dread the day, but it has become a little easier over the years because I have learned a few tips and developed some pointers.  So here is what you need to have a smooth (at least close to smooth) Back to School Night.

• Send home a kid made invite prior to the big day.  This will add a little extra touch over the general school flyer and the kids will be excited to share it with their parents because they made it. This is a great way to get the information to the parents so that they will actually show up.  
• For the event have the kids make a little autobiographical craft.  Here is a link to one  http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/3966/self-portraits-all-about-me-bookets/ . 
• When there is that awkward downtime at the beginning of the evening, have your students give their parents a tour of the classroom, show them where their desk is (make sure they have their books and belongings out to peruse) and have the parent see if they can guess which is their child's project.  A fun little game of guess-who is a great ice-breaker.  
• In addition to a brief activity, have some refreshments (popcorn and water bottles), a sign-in sheet to get all their contact information in case you do not see them until conferences, and maybe a little slide-show on repeat of pictures you have taken of the kids' first days of school.  Make sure you are playing some cheerful music.  It makes your room warm and inviting and encourages parents to connect with each other.  
• Make sure you prepare a quick five minute presentation on power point that includes the following:
• tell them a little bit about yourself - they are entrusting their child to you for six hours a day, they want to know more about you.
• your classroom management system and plan
• your homework policies
• a quick snippet of your philosophy on education
• You will also want to include a little packet for the parents to take home with the following:
• what are the big ideas of the grade level your teaching
• some information on child development for the age you are teaching
•  a three way contract that states your commitment, the parent's commitment, and the student's commitment to the year.  Have all three parties sign and return it to you (well, you can sign it before you hand it out).  Keep it on file in case any problems arise with the parent or students during the year.  
• A questionnaire about their child.  This shows the parent that you care about their child's individual needs and really want to personalize their experience in the classroom.  

• Lastly, you will want to make a little wish list for your classroom.  Take a big poster board.  Write "wishlist" on the board and stick sticky notes to it with different classroom items you need, like glue-sticks, pencils, folders, etc.  The parents can take as many sticky notes as they want and return the classroom items with their child later that week.  It is a great way to get your wish list personalized.

So that is a little glimpse into my Back to School Night.   I would love to hear any additional ideas that you use in your classroom.  Let's help each other out.  I know we are all busy getting pacing guides, lesson planning, professional development and classrooms arranged, so if you want some of the leg work done for you, you can buy my Back to School Night Survival Kit on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Here is the link to the product:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Night-Bundle-1378333

The kit includes:


-Welcome Back to School editable document letter
-Editable Power Point
-Back to School Night Invitation for students to color and write details down on
-Back to School Night Packet to send home with parents
-Sign-In Sheet
-Three-Way Contract
-Parent Questionnaire


Good luck everyone!

Love,

Tomorrow's Teacher

Welcome to Tomorrow's Teacher

Hello Teachers of Tomorrow!

I have been writing a blog called Today's Baby for the past five years.  My children are my joy.  I love parenting with my partner in crime, Phil.  We are truly a team in every sense of the word.  But...before I became a parent, I was practicing, big time, because I am a teacher! 

I have been teaching for over ten years. My teaching career started in South Los Angeles in an inner-city school.  I worked there for six years before moving to a high performing charter school in a rural area.  Now I have moved back to the public school scene.  I have taught on both ends of the spectrum.  The bottom line is that teaching is my passion and I have some unique views about education.  I believe that it is up to us as teachers to be instrumental in changing the face of education in America. 

First of all, let me tell you about my educational journey.  I actually was diagnosed with a learning disability in the 2nd grade and was placed in an RSP class.  I remained in special education until I tested out in the 6th grade.  As a result of my perceived learning disabilities, I was looked down upon by both students and teachers.  I hated school growing up, and never thought I would go into education.  As I grew older, despite my struggles as an elementary school student,  I was drawn to education, and thought maybe I could be an instrument of change.  I determined that I would help to fix the problems that I experienced so that tomorrow's students would have access to a better educational experience.  So, I eventually decided to go for it.  The best way to fix things is to be a part of changing things.  I overcame my initial fears and have been teaching ever since.  

Besides being a wife and mommy, teaching is my life.  It is a part of who I am.  It is a science that you not only have to be passionate about, but you have to constantly refine your practice and refresh your outlook. This is not really an easy thing to do.  You have to be highly aware of your own growth or you will become stagnant. 

My basic teaching philosophy is built upon a few key platforms.  First, I have a heart for closing the gender achievement gap. Male children, especially those who live in poverty, are at risk of failing in their education.   They continually score lower and lower in all subject-areas every year on state and standardized tests.  The American school system has NEVER been male-friendly.  I want to be a part of changing that.  You will see that many of the lessons I put in my store have tips and strategies for dealing with challenging male students (see link below).  I know this is a struggle many of you have faced, but I promise this stuff really works.    

My second platform is similar to my first.  I believe in fun, engaging, and interactive classrooms.  I am not saying there is never a time for paper pencil tasks or worksheets, but you will notice my lesson plans are fun, rigorous, and interactive without many worksheets or paper-pencil tasks.  They will include everything you need to take your classroom teaching to the next level.  They are also aligned to the new Common Core Standards and they really do push the limits on getting your students to higher levels of thinking and making those real-life connections.  

Finally, I believe that every student has infinite potential.  Rather than looking at low performing students as a burden, I like to think of them as the students with the greatest opportunity to grow.  I wish my teachers had thought this way when I was in school, but it's not too late for us, the teachers of tomorrow, to make a change for our students today.

I believe in the power of education and I believe it can make or break a student. I truly feel my passion is fueled by gifts in this arena.  I love teaching and I know I am on to something different.  I believe in ingenuity in education.  I believe in lesson plans that break the mold and go beyond the brick and mortar of the classroom.  And most importantly, I believe that every child I have in my care has infinite potential.  Please check back for thoughts on education and teaching.  I know that the best kind of reflection and learning happens if we as educators collaborate and learn from each other.  Let's do this.  We will not be teachers of the past, we come together to truly be teachers of tomorrow.  Yeah! 
  

Please check out my "Tomorrow’s Teacher" store on Teacher's Pay Teachers (see link below) for free and paid lesson plans that will help you get started on your road to being tomorrow's teacher. I will continue to upload and provide awesome lessons that will help to make your classroom better.    

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tomorrows-Teacher