Dear Educators,

It's that time of year where we get the opportunity to extend our partnership with parents during parent/student/teacher conferences. This is an important time for us to increase our relationship and, as a result, have a greater impact on students. The BIST Team would like to share some helpful tips to remember going into these sessions:

  • When meeting with parents, reaffirm that you share common goals for their child:
  • To be successful and learn (be smart).
  • To be trusted, respected and have friends (be liked).
  • To feel good about him/herself (feel good).
  • To take good care of him/herself, make good decisions, and stay out of trouble (take care of self).

  • Building a positive atmosphere at the beginning of the conference will help the experience be comfortable for all parties involved. Be hospitable. Starting off by sharing something you have learned about their child, and celebrating a success can help things begin in the right direction.

  • When we need to bring up a needed area of growth, it's important to remember parents may be emotional in their response. Since parenting can feel extremely challenging and vulnerable, validate parents' concern when they express it. Also, when mentioning a challenge, use language that shows you're working on the challenge together and are hopeful for progress.

The BIST Team admires the work you all do to support kids and work with their families. We hope you have some great conferences that allow for continued impact with students!
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