Conference List

Conferences are right around the corner–are you ready?

• Have you contacted each parent, at least once, before conferences? Establishing a relationship is critical to conference attendance.
• Do you have a conference schedule? Have you planned some make-up time–before and after your designated conference schedule?
• Do you have snacks? Conferences can make the days long, snacks and water make the day manageable.
• Do you have work samples? Work samples are excellent, critical, tools to demonstrate success and concern.
• Do you have an up-to-date progress report? It can get lost in backpacks. Have one handy for families to review.
• Do you have talking points? Having a concrete set of items to discuss, for all conferences or for particular students, helps guide the conversation and keep it focused.

Conferences are time-consuming endeavors. Staying organized keeps you organized and limits the amount of time wasted. Conferences are incredible moments of opportunity too. Being prepared, having clear talking points and examples, allows you to maximize this opportunity to further your partnership with families and to continue working towards a year of optimal learning and growth—for your students and your practice.