9th February 2018 1:00
By Blue Tutors
Some teachers relish the thought of their annual or sometimes termly parents evening, proclaiming it to be one of the most rewarding days of their academic year. But for most of us, whether parent, pupil or teacher, the anxious drive bak to school in the evening is one of the less exciting days of the school year.
The main and perhaps most obvious goal of any parents evening is start to construct a productive relationship with a child's parents, a bond between pupil and teacher and allowing all parties to feel they can talk openly and confidently about the students progress and development.
Prepare:
An obvious, but vital starting point. After a long days work or study for each of the three parties involved, everyone is likely to be tired and nearing the end of their busy evening tether. This should not tempt you, however, into preparing your thoughts at the last minute.
Bring Props:
Have some up-to-date book work or curriculum records with you to show to each parent, as the physical evidence of both your work for the child as well as their own will be a good, often positive start to a meeting, and can be used as immediate examples of, for example, where Billy’s spelling needs work, Jack’s neat maths work or Jessica’s latest self-review. Writing notes for each child, even on a post-it placed over or in each book, will help to prompt you to remember any key points you want to discuss. This can also help to diffuse confusion that might occur when, on a Friday evening, you’re just a little overcooked after a week of teaching well over a hundred different kids.
Communicate:
Secondary school teachers should try where they can to talk each other before the event, to ensure that your points are consistent. This way parents can leave with a more precise idea as to how they can actively help their child keep improving, and might lead to a few internal staff epiphanies along the way. Looking back at previous reports to see development or repeated issues can also be useful, and overall the more preparation you do, the more capable and relaxed you will feel and seem to parents on the day. If the pupil is present at the meeting, ask them what they think you are going to say. Directly involving them in this discussion will help them to feel empowered, create a greater bond between the two of you and will over time increase confidence. It will also provide useful insight into how they think they are doing, so you can take note and think about future lessons accordingly. If you approach the meetings as multiple mini self-reviews, too, that can be highly productive especially for younger teachers.
Start Positive:
To quote th BBC Active website, where more tips can be found: ‘The best way to provide effective feedback on a child’s performance, behaviour and development is to start with the positives. Parents’ evenings might be a teacher’s first opportunity to fully engage with parents, and starting off with negative feedback or criticisms will always put parents on the defensive and it’s tough to come back from this. So look for positive points about each child to start discussions, whether that means talking about their attainment, attitude, behaviour or relationships with others.’
Avoid Educational Jargon:
Ensure you use plain language. Be clear and avoid educational jargon, as this can alienate parents and feel evasive. Remember, these are adults, but not trained teachers - they care about their children but they might not understand your new mark-scheme. Being perfectly normal in your speech will encourage further discussion with parents and with the student if present.
Awkward Questions:
Although inevitable, these can feel like major curveballs, especially if its your first time. BBC Active recommends: ‘parents may ask about their child’s attainment compared to their best friend or others in the class. Rather than enter into a discussion that could lead to giving out unnecessary information about other students, you can simply ask the parent how they think their child is doing, or suggest practical tips to give the child extra support if needed.’
Teaching Resources:
Speaking to more experienced colleagues or sitting in with them at parents’ evenings is great for trainee teachers, especially in secondary where many pupils have two teachers per subject anyway. TES is a good source if information.