Parent teacher conferences are very stressful situations, especially when an educator has an issue to bring up to the parents regarding their child. If not handled properly, miscommunications may occur, which may leave both parties with a mistrust for each other, hindering the child's development.
As shown from the above video, here are some tips for conducting a simple meeting with parents.
1. Body language. Use encouraging words and positive body language to make the parent feel comfortable. Maintain eye contact and adopt a soft approach.
2. Set the meeting up for success. Let the parent know ahead what time the meeting is, so that they can mentally and physically prepare themselves before meeting you.
3. Use a sandwich method by providing positive, negative, then positive feedback. This helps to start and end off the conversation on a good note, as people respond more positively to positive feedback than negative ones.