Base meetings on assessments
 The first meeting of the school year should be parent focused and involve a discussion of their needs and concerns. Parents often come to the classroom with preconceived fears and anxieties. By arranging to meet alone with the parents, teachers have time to allay these fears without the interruption of students. Parents will be able to also interact with other parents in the class and see that many are likely to have the same concerns. This meeting will also allow the teacher to better understand student's preferred learning styles, as well as other influences on learning, such as level of preparedness and family dynamics. The underlying mission of this first meeting is to establish that both parents and teachers play an integral part in the child's academic success.
Teachers may want to consider inviting teaching assistants and other resource staff to help parents understand that teaching is a team effort.
Schedule parent only meetings regularly throughout the year t continue to build the parent-teacher relationship. In addition, try to accommodate those parents who may desire a private meeting outside of their regularly scheduled appointment. |
