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Where do you teach?
What do you teach?
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Right Side Panel (Presentation Panel)
Polling
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Same Goals, Different Roles
Presented by:Rhoda Trehearne
Beginning Teacher WebinarNovember 2013
Teachers and Parents
What questions are you bringing to the workshop?
an angry parent?
a parent who is also a colleague?
absent or over-involved
parents?
Our Goals
successful approaches for communicating with parents
strategies for parent conferencing
effective ways to reframe interactions in challenging situations
What Parents Value Most
With permission from Gwen Rudney’sEvery Teacher’s Guide to Working with Parents
Poll #1: Which of the following two qualities do you think parents consider the most important in their child’s teacher?
1. The teacher is a strong instructor with an effective classroom management style.
2. The teacher cares about their child and knows them as an individual.
What Parents Value Most
Implications for Teachers:
Talk to students. Ask them about their interests, families, hobbies, etc.
Phone/email parents to share your observations and successes (document
conversations).
What Parents Value Most
With permission from Gwen Rudney’sEvery Teacher’s Guide to Working with Parents
Poll #2: What do you think parents do when they disagree with a teacher?
A. Contact the principal.
B. Contact the teacher.
C. Do nothing.
What Parents Value Most
Implications for Teachers:
Be aware of each student’s strengths and share what you see with parents.
Be approachable (to students and parents). Provide diverse learning opportunities. Be consistent and fair with assessment and discipline.
Personal Reflection
How often do I…
1. make parents feel welcome in the school?
2. call parents with good news? Call when I require more information, or see a problem developing?
3.put myself in the parent’s shoes when discussing sensitive issues?
Food for Thought…
Parents hate surprises. The number one reason why parents get mad at teachers or school administrators boils down to failure to communicate.
Elaine K. McEwan
(The same is true for most people, including teachers.)
Effective Conferencing
According to Gwen Rudney, parents want to know four things from the teacher.
How their children are doing How their children’s performance relates
to how they should be doing How the teacher will help How much the teacher appreciates their
child
E-6
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Share a good idea with others:
Parent/Teacher Conferences
What teachers should not do:
Start or finish with negatives
Compare a student with others in the class
Offer to do more than you can
Building Relationship
“Don’t make assumptions . . .By making this one agreement a habit, your whole life will be completely transformed.”
Dr Don Miguel Ruiz
F-2
Difficult Conversations
Poll #4: When someone challenges me in front of others, I usually…
A. Shut down.B. Become defensive.C. Become aggressive.D. Defer the conversation to another time.
When There is a Concern
1.Thank the parents for coming to talk to you. Let them know you are there to help and that you care.
2. Listen and “seek to understand” why they are upset.
3. Ask open-ended questions.4. Focus on the problem, never on the
person.
The Importance of Reframing
Identifies the underlying need or concern
Eliminates blame
Identifies common ground
Changes negative to positive.
Responses to Tough Questions Ask questions first. Find out concerns. Be calm Give the parent space Avoid becoming personal, focus on the
behaviour Use non-confrontational voice tone and
language.R Curwin and A Mendler
F-4
Helpful Reframing Stems.....Parent: “My child is being bullied and you aren’t doing
anything about it.” (positional comment)
Teacher: (reframe concerns)So you are concerned about.......So you feel that......because.......I am hearing, it is important that.....It is clear, you are feeling frustrated because.....
(Tell me more. It’s important we solve this and correct what’s going on.)
Now let’s try to reframe a positional comment...
POLL #5
“My child hates coming to school.”
“My child thinks you are picking on him”
(hint use some of the stems you just learned about)
Problem Solving Meeting - Agenda Warm greeting. Let everyone know you care about their
child and you are here to help and work together. Clarify problems, concerns. Listen. Paraphrase. Reframe to
make sure you are not missing anything. Have some options available for discussion. Everyone has opportunity for input. (especially quiet ones) Acknowledge feelings and let them know their concerns are
important. Collaborate on an action plan. Ask: “Have I missed
anything…..is there anything more we can do?” Write it out- who does what and when Discuss what follow-up will happen
Too Conclude This Afternoon Will you please write down one or two
things you have learned today that will help you to build and sustain a positive relationship with parents.
Revisiting Our Goals
Participants will have an understanding of:
successful approaches for communicating with parents
strategies for parent conferencing effective ways to reframe interactions in
challenging situations
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN
Thank you for attending!
For Further Questions:
Barnett House at 780-447-9400 or 1-800-232-7208 (toll free in Alberta)
Rhoda Trehearne directly at [email protected]
