Family Conferences

For younger children, it may be better to share the conference responsibilities rather than put all of the expectations on a 6 or 7-year-old.  They may be very able to share their best work and tell why they chose it, but beyond that…some of my practicum students sat in on early grade conferences, and teacher-led went much smoother and more within the time limits of meeting with 25 families. Of course, each conference can be looked at individually as what will work best for the teacher and the student no matter their age.  

My students observed their MT soften the discussion when a student was struggling with grade-level content, without avoiding what needed to be said.  If there was difficult news, around behavior or academic growth, Mentor Teachers began with something positive, spoke the truth in the middle, and ended the conference with something good to share.  My granddaughter’s second-grade teacher provided a few reports that could be easily understood by families. (Most family members are overwhelmed with the amount of data we show them!) But more importantly, she provided a Glow and a Grow both in academics as well as how she does socially, and her behavior, including helpfulness, kindness, and so on.  One of the report pages included photos of my granddaughter working in the classroom and playing with friends. 

Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com
Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics