Parent/Teacher Conference Day

I like to come over-prepared for Parent/Teacher Conference Day.  Most parents respect me and what I'm doing in the classroom.  However, there will always be a handful of students that try to blame me for their failing grades.  For those students, I do the following . . .

1)  In my gradebook, I list anything a student does in class that takes away from learning.  For example, I'll write "book" if a student is reading for pleasure during a lesson.  Some other common notes are "sleeping," "texting," and "no notes."  I add these notes to the progress report.

 

2)  I bring copies of any parent letters I sent home with students.  I mark in my gradebook whether or not the student brought back the parent letter signed.  I also bring copies of my parent contact sheets so I can remind the parent of any previous phone conversations, and copies of letters I mailed home.

 

3)  I bring all the homework assignments, tests, rubrics for projects, and example projects to my table.  That way, if a student or parent asks what we have been doing, I can show them everything. 

 

4)  One of my classes is project-based (no tests, just projects).  Just in case a student or parent made the argument that they did not understand the project or when it was due, I put up examples of the projects that I made, along with due dates.  For parent teacher conference day, I brought photos of my classroom as proof that the students knew what they were supposed to do and by what day.

 

This year, I haven't had any problems with parents.  I've made it so that I'm not an issue, the student's performance is the issue.  I don't make it sound like I'm complaining about a student that is failing, instead I state the facts.  I'm very objective and fair.  Also, my classes are more effort-based, especially my project-based class.  I show the parents that I'm making an effort, even if the student is not making an effort.