Parent teacher conferences have increasingly moved online in recent years, giving families and caregivers the option to check in with their student’s teachers from anywhere.
While some may prefer the familiarity of in-person conversations, virtual conferences can be just as productive, illuminating, and meaningful as face-to-face meetings. For those who find it difficult to attend in person, they offer a valuable opportunity to stay engaged in a child’s learning journey.
Forging a solid parent teacher relationship has never been more essential for student learning success, so armed with the right attitude and a few key tips, instructors and caregivers can approach this year’s virtual parent teacher conferences feeling prepared and optimistic.
How can parent teacher conferences boost student success?
There is no greater responsibility than educating children – parents trust teachers to support their child’s academic, social, and emotional development, and educators rely on parents to reinforce learning at home. Parent teacher conferences are a forum to ensure both parties are aligned and working as a team to help the child feel confident, grow, and succeed.
Parent teacher conferences are an opportunity for parents/caregivers and educators to discuss the learner’s progress, address challenges, share goals, and develop a plan of action.
Through a parent teacher conference, both parties can:
- Develop a more holistic understanding of the child – at school and at home – which can lead to more tailored support from teachers and parents alike
- Align on messaging and goals, so that school and caregivers are providing consistent guidance and support
- Co-create strategies specific to each child, to reinforce positive behaviors and support on areas of improvement
The positive outcomes for learners are proven. Strong parent teacher relationships are shown to:
- Improve student motivation and engagement
- Reduce behavioral issues
- Result in higher high school completion rates
However, for lots of reasons, some parents and caregivers may struggle to consistently attend in-person parent teacher conferences, which is why many institutions have decided to retain the virtual meetings they first introduced during the pandemic.
What are the benefits of virtual parent teacher conferences?
More accessible: Working parents, people with disabilities, and those without easy transport options may find virtual parent teacher conferences easier to attend – leading to better outcomes for their child’s education.
Less intimidating: Some parents find the formality of the school setting intimidating. Allowing caregivers to attend a parent teacher conference from the comfort of their own home can make them more relaxed and open to discussions.
Same interactivity: Virtual parent teacher conferences still allow caregivers to review student work and materials – it just requires preparation from the teacher to make these materials available digitally, through the use of screensharing technology.
How can institutions make virtual parent teacher conferences a success?
Despite the benefits of virtual parent teacher conferences, there may still be resistance from families that are used to in-person meetings. This is understandable. Many of us prefer face-to-face communication to pick up on non-verbal cues and to see the physical environment where our children learn. Here are 10 tips for institutions to help make virtual parent teacher conferences a success.
- Highlight the benefits of virtual meetings: For parents, virtual meetings take less time, are more convenient, and are less stressful. Highlight the benefits when inviting parents to attend.
- Offer parents a choice: Tell parents that your preference is for virtual parent teacher conferences but offer in-person meetings if necessary (for example, parents don’t have IT access or have specific challenges that need addressing in person).
- Provide other opportunities to visit the school: Provide parents with another way to see the school, such as offering a guided tour once a term.
- Allow enough time: Parents may feel they’re getting a lesser experience with a virtual meeting, so ensure you schedule enough time for parents to discuss their child thoroughly and feel satisfied with the meeting.
- Make it extremely easy for parents: Use tools like Calendly to let parents easily book a slot that suits them, and make sure plenty of slots are available.
- Provide plain English instructions: Be mindful of different levels of language and digital proficiency when providing joining instructions for participants.
- Set an agenda: Provide parents with an agenda so they know what to expect from the meeting and can prepare effectively, to make the best use of their time.
- Offer recordings for parents that can’t attend: If parents are unable to attend, educators can record a video discussing their child’s work and inviting parents to get in touch when convenient.
- Remove barriers to participation: Ensure whatever conferencing platform you use is accessible on a variety of devices (including smartphones) for parents that don’t have access to a computer.
- Get feedback: Ask parents for feedback to improve your next virtual parent teacher conference.
Tips for teachers conducting virtual parent teacher conferences
Start with a positive
Even if the student is one of your most challenging, begin with a positive anecdote, trait, or simply, "I'm so happy they are in my class." It comforts parents, shows you care, and makes it easier to give constructive feedback later in the conversation.
Share and ask about students' social and emotional wellbeing
Mental health challenges are on the rise and the difficult socio-economic landscape may mean families are struggling. Check in on your learner’s social and emotional health to understand the background to any behavior at school.
Involve the student's voice
Bringing the child's voice into the conference allows them to take ownership of their learning. Before the conference, have students reflect on their progress. A simple "Glow and Grow" exercise, where they identify a "glow" (an area of confidence) and a "grow" (an area for practice), can be a powerful starting point for discussion. Sharing these reflections with parents makes them more open to discussing areas of growth.
Share school expectations and classroom strategies
By providing caregivers with digital copies of the school policy handbook, class schedule, and/or syllabus, everyone is on the same page. Also share the language and strategies you use in the classroom, such as "I statements" for expressing feelings or "mindful minutes" to calm and focus. This gives parents tools to use at home and helps with consistency.
Inquire about how things are going from the parents’ perspective
What has gone well? What has been a challenge? Not only do educators want feedback from students, but it can be eye-opening to hear from parents and caregivers, especially if their students have been hybrid or fully distance learning. Remember that you need their support just as much as they need yours.
Utilize technology to show, not just tell
You can highlight student work by screen sharing a picture, a Google Doc, or other digital examples. Prior to conferences, prepare by creating desktop folders for each student's work or a list of hyperlinks.
If you use Turnitin Feedback Studio, you can note which QuickMarks you use most with a particular student and offer that feedback directly to the parent to support their writing growth.
Offer concrete suggestions and resources
Parents will likely ask, "How can I help my child?" Be ready with a resource list of reading comprehension strategies, book recommendations, or math problem examples. Parents are always grateful to walk away with concrete examples and language to help them.
Maintain confidentiality
Parent-teacher conferences are a time to discuss their child only. If parents bring up other students, gently steer the conversation back to their child. You can share your observations of how their child handled a situation without mentioning another child’s name.
Follow up in the week(s) following the conference
Student growth depends on consistent communication. Just as you would after an in-person meeting, sending a follow-up email or text that touches on something specific you discussed shows your investment in that student’s development.
How can caregivers get the most out of virtual parent teacher conferences?
Arrive at the virtual call on time
Parent teacher conference days are tightly scheduled and instructors have back-to-back calls. Try to arrive on time to ensure you get the most time to discuss your child. Institutions may need to implement a very strict time limit on calls to protect the schedule for the remaining parents, as even a two-minute delay can throw off the rest of the schedule.
Listen before sharing your views and asking questions
It can be tempting to start the conversation immediately with your questions and concerns. However, educators across the board highly recommend that parents/caregivers start by listening in order to gain a better sense of their child as a student. Then, when the instructor asks for your insight, you can offer your perspective with a greater context.
Come prepared with a list of questions for your student’s teacher
This can help guide the conversation, especially with limited time. Furthermore, questions that lead to action items are sometimes more helpful than more general questions, for example: How is my student doing with addition and subtraction? What suggestions do you have for our family after school and on weekends to support their mental math skills?
Approach the meeting in partnership
Like families, educators are navigating many priorities and demands on their time. Approach your child’s teacher in a spirit of partnership and empathy – as they will with you.
Don’t assume that your student’s teacher knows everything they need to know about your child
Oftentimes, a specific insight or detail that you might not think is critical, can be the crucial link in a teacher’s full knowledge of your kiddo. Something as simple as, “We’ve discovered that my daughter really struggles with focused seatwork in the afternoons here at home, so we have started to take walks between Zoom classes after lunch.” This small, but intuitive detail gives teachers a holistic view of your child as both a remote learner and a person.
Don’t lose sight of what’s really important
The New York Times puts it well: Value process over product. It’s easy as a parent or caregiver to get caught up in the small stuff, like comparing your student’s accomplishments to others or fixating on one test or one grade. More than ever, students are feeling overwhelmed, so now is the time to support your child in valuing the learning process over simply acing exams. And during a virtual conference, this may look like asking questions about your child’s emotional well-being instead of what grade they got on a recent test.
End the virtual conference with a plan
Every conversation with an educator can and should lead to action items, whether it’s something small (Read with your student every night before bed) or a long-term plan (Scaffolded steps to increase independent homework completion). Make sure you understand what has been shared and how it affects your student’s learning success and be sure to follow up with questions via email or a phone call if you need clarification.
Strengthening student success through effective virtual parent teacher conferences
Remember: Communication between parents/caregivers and educators is highly related to homework completion rates, classroom behavior, and participation in class. Additionally, when the school/home connection is strong, students know they have resources to turn to when facing challenges, which further strengthens their confidence and academic integrity.
The parent teacher conference shouldn’t be the only time during a school year that instructors and families connect on student learning. Parents, educators, and institutions should make time for regular check-ins throughout the year.
Bring data to your next parent teacher conference
Turnitin Feedback Studio helps you track student progress over time, pinpointing areas of strength and opportunities for growth. Walk into your next parent-teacher conference with specific examples and clear data to share, fostering a more productive and collaborative conversation.