How to do a conference

Last class, we talked about the main suggestions to do a good conference with parents. In order to do so, we first watched a video and individually and in pairs we wrote down what do we think that was done well. These were our notes:

- Good welcome

- They listen each other

- She gives arguments

- She explains everything clearly

- She would like to have another conference

- Very positive

- She knows how to deal with children’s problems and she gives clues and suggestions

- She promotes participation

- Shares the material

- The mother is involved in his child’s academic life and she helps him

- She has the material prepared in order to show it to the mother

- She has tests to prove her arguments

- They get to an agreement in order to meet again

                               

                              

After sharing the information, we watched another video of an expert who analyzed all the good points of the conference and we realized that they didn't differ very much from ours. Afterwards, Miguel gave us a summary of all of them which were:

• ·         Have a schedule
• ·         Foresee how long is going to be (timing)
• ·         Find time to look for materials in order to show the parent what the pupil has been doing (portfolio, materials)
• ·         Confidentiality
• ·         Control what you are going to say
• ·         Look for a nice setting
• ·         Not to sit in front of the parent with a table across, it is better to be shoulder by shoulder
• ·         Know the objectives
• ·         Prepare the students (I’m going to talk to your parent tomorrow) he even can come he has the right to be there.
• ·         Purpose of the conference
• ·         Encourage parents to take some notes and to feel them free to ask some questions
• ·         Open the conference with a positive speech of the attributes of the student
• ·         Describe the progress in the major subject areas and moral development.
• ·         Not to use technical language
• ·         Ask them how they feel
• ·         Listen what parents can suggest
• ·         Set mutual goals
• ·         Everyone has understand the role in terms of the goals
• ·         Everything has to be clear
• ·         Establish a timeline for goals (before the appointment is finished)
• ·         Summarize what has happened in the conference and what is going to happen in terms of children achievements. Set a next appointment
• ·         Evaluate the conference: self-assessment, what had happened, what can you improve, follow up with the student.
• ·         Be punctual                    

                                 

Finally, we also learn that there are three different typed of communication: aggressive, passive and assertive, being the last one the best. Aggressive is expressing your own right feelings, need and opinions in a freely way. Passive is not expressing your right and feeling or opinions, looking for please others and avoid conflict. Finally, assertive is engaging respect with other people and also being clear about what you feel and what you need. Assertiveness is a combination of high self- stem feel (confidence with yourself), and having arguments in order to support your opinion. These are the ten rules to be assertive:

1. Respect my self
2. Recognize my own needs
3. Make clear my statements about how I feel
4. Allow myself to make mistakes
5. Change my mind
6. Ask for time to think
7. Allow myself to enjoy success
8. Ask for what I want
9. Recognize that I am not responsible for the behaviour of others
10. Respect others