Those of us who are (or were) secondary-level teachers may have had some of those very lonely Parent-Teacher Conference nights. It seems that in some schools, no matter how much you publicize the event, only a handful of parents show up. Even I have muttered the words, “All of the conferences I would have liked to have had didn’t show up.”
Maybe it is the readily-available online grade books that parents can access 24/7 to see their student’s progress….
Or maybe it is avoidance of the (once again) negative conference…..
Perhaps the parent feels that the student is old enough to monitor his own progress….
Nonetheless, it is our responsibility as educators to include the families of our students to maximize their fullest potential. Try this...on the day after conferences, do the following:
List the names of the students receiving a D or F in your class.
Add to that list the names of students who...
- are getting a B or C and are not working up to potential
- you already have concerns about not passing the semester
- have missing assignments in your class
- have behavioral issues in your class
- doze off in your class
Delete the names of students who...
- had parents attend conferences the previous night
- you have spoken with the parents in the last two weeks about any of the above issues
- had an IEP/504/RtI meeting that you attended and/or gave meaningful input in the last three weeks
What you have left are families that should still be contacted. You could start with a generic email through your school’s student information system. Here is a suggestion....
"I am sorry that we were not able to connect at Parent-Teacher Conferences on Monday. I would still like to have the opportunity to discuss your child's progress with you. Please email me some times that we could speak on the phone. I look forward to partnering with you on your child's educational journey."
Perhaps to avoid the back-pedaling, do this exercise a few days PRIOR to conferences. Reaching out to families shows that you care about their child and his progress. They say, “Build it and they will come.” Sometimes, however, you may have to bring “it” to them.
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