Adding technology to parent teacher conferences could either be a blessing or a nightmare, or both. Here are some tips for making virtual parent teacher conferences a success.
Scheduling
Some schools may schedule your appointments for you, others put that in the hands of the teacher. A couple of great online scheduling tools are SignUpGenius and Calendy. Consider scheduling in some wiggle room for each appointment to account for any technological issues.
Helping Parents Out
Provide a video tutorial of how to log in to the zoom meeting or make a detailed step by step tutorial on how to work with zoom. If the parent is really struggling don’t waste too much time. There’s no issue with a good old phone meeting.
Document Sharing
Sharing student work is common in parent teacher conferences. Here are some ways to do that on zoom.
- Use a document camera. Don’t try holding up the paper to the screen.
- Prepare a slideshow to screenshare for each student.
- Scan and send in an email to parents.
- Copy the work you want to go through and send it home with the student.
General Tips
- Be timely. Try to keep as close to your schedule as possible so parents aren’t waiting in the Zoom lobby for you to finish. Try setting a timer. If you anticipate parents having to wait, consider making a video or slideshow for them to watch while waiting. This could be a classroom tour or a collection of their child’s best work.
- Make sure to listen to parents and give them a chance to ask questions.
- Make a plan. Finish the meeting with a plan on addressing anything their child may be struggling with.
- Take notes. This will show you’re really listening and will keep you from forgetting anything.
Consider asking these Questions
- What is your preferred method of communication?
- What are some of your child’s strengths and challenges?
- Has your child expressed any concerns regarding my class?
- Is there anything you can tell me abut your child that you think would help me support their learning?
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