Parent Teacher Conferences: What's new, fresh ideas and best practices from education thought leaders and technology specialists. Sponsored by McGraw-Hill Education and VolunteerSpot, the leading FREE, easy online parent-teacher conference scheduling tool.

1. Parent-Teacher Conferences:
Best Practices & Building
Partnerships

2. Karen Bantuveris Joe Mazza Lisa Dabbs
Founder & CEO Principal, #PTChat #ntchat, Edu Consultant
@VolunteerSpot @Joe_Mazza @Teachingwthsoul
Greg Garner Pernille Ripp Glenn Yetter
Educational Technologist 5th Grade Teacher 6th Grade teacher
@Classroom_Tech @Pernille Ripp @CoachYetter

3. Agenda
Welcome & Why We’re Here
Recent Survey Results – Karen
Conference Game Plan and Tips – Lisa
Student Led Conferences – Glenn
Documenting Learning with New Tech – Greg
Building Ongoing Parent-Teacher-Student Relationships – Joe
Q& A – All
Resources & VolunteerSpot Demo: Free Parent-Teacher
Conference Scheduler – Karen

4. Recent Survey Results
Parenting Magazine / NEA Survey April 2012
45% parents gave their teachers an “A” for parent relationships
88 percent of parents consider their child’s teacher a partner
BUT…
Only 54 percent of teachers feel that parents do their part at
home to ensure kids the most out of classroom learning
93% of teachers believe parents are given the opportunity to offer
input into and participate in school events and activities,
HOWEVER…
25% parents say they feel shut out of the collaboration process

5. Parent Engagement Journey
Thanks to Chris Jarvis,
@RealizedWorth

6. VolunteerSpot Survey Results
Parents rate last conference:
85% Excellent or Good
Teachers rate last round of
conferences:
92% Excellent or Good

7. What Are Our Teachers Doing?
What %
Pre-conference questions for parents 24%
Student Portfolios (paper) 73%
Student Portfolios (electronic) 18%
Student-Led Conferences 14%
Use an Agenda 55%
Prepare Action Plans for Students 60%
Prepare Action Plans for Parents 35%
Parent Resource List 65%
Virtual Parent Meetings 7%

8. Lisa Michelle Dabbs M.Ed
@TeachingwthSoul
Educational Consultant & Speaker, Los Angeles, CA
#ntchat Founder , Edutopia Core Blogger,
Edupad Representative

9. Begin on a Positive Note
Communicate with Parents
right away
Ask parents for the best way
to reach them
Use a variety of
communication tools

10. Establish your Conference Calendar
Take time to setup appointments
and follow up
TIP: VolunteerSpot Makes it easy!
Keep data base with parent contacts
Include a map of the campus
Set expectations for discussions
Hold a phone or Skype conference
if parents can’t attend

11. Create Student Portfolios
Establish a method to share
Consider Electronic tools
(DropBox, wikis, Google
Drive, etc.)
Capture work samples each
week
If Student-Led, set clear
guidelines and deadlines

12. Have a Conference Day Plan
Start and end on time!
TIP: Set a timer!
Share an agenda to guide discussion
Ask questions, take notes, LISTEN
Stop and re-schedule if conference
becomes unproductive

13. Focus on Whole Child
Focus on strengths and share
several
Include 1 or 2 opportunities for
improvement
Share social observations with
peers and adults
Let parents know they can share
their concerns with you anytime

14. Invite Parents to your Team
Ask how they would like to
participate
Have volunteer opportunities
planned and make it easy for
parents to signup
Do they have a special talent? Remember! Parents
Share Web2.0 tools for home- need to feel valued and
school collaboration DO, when you include
them!

15. Welcome to My Glenn Yetter
@CoachYetter
Student-Led Hatfield, PA
Conference

16. What are they?
Students are trained in the specific skills necessary to engage
their parents in a discussion about their academic progress
Hey Mom &
Dad…look at
my success! 
Goals- Students will:
1. Learn to set goals
2. Evaluate their own work
3. Improve communication and organization skills
4. Take an active role in their learning

17. Portfolios:
The Centerpiece of the Conference
Portfolios are…
a purposeful collection of student work that tells a story
of academic progress. It reveals the child’s knowledge,
skills, interests, and attitudes towards learning.

18. Student Script

19. Student Report Card Review

20. Presentation Highlights
Reflection sheets for each subject – guides discussion
Create a slide for each subject
Review Successful Learner segment of report card
PRACTICE!!
Hold chair for parents, establishes tone of meeting
Use TECH! PowerPoint, Prezi, Slide Share
This is a conference…NOT a reading

21. Greg Garner
@Classroom_Tech
West Ridge Middle School, Austin, TX

22. Technology Provides Options
Communication
Flexibility
Changing Learning
Paradigms

23. Video conference
File and screen
sharing (show exactly
what you see on your
screen)

24. Shareable,
multimedia portfolios
from any
device/machine
Organized by tags,
notebooks, and
search
Deep integration
with variety of
tools/apps
OCR, indexed PDFs,
audio and text notes
Resources: http://evernote.com/schools/resources/topics/k12/

25. Student learning
community
Parent access
on-going, just-in-
time,
asynchronous
learning and
assessment

26. SpEd and 504
Use portfolios to show progress in learning and
impact of accommodations on the learning process
Documentation can be tied to and stored with
student work samples
Example: Evernote with audio records and feedback
plus student assignments, shared with the parents
via Edmodo or Skype
Set the stage for your next ARD or 504 meeting
during Conferences - Introduce digital tools!

27. Joe Mazza
@Joe_Mazza
Lead Learner @knappelementary, Philadelphia, PA
~ @penngse student studying home-school partnerships 2.0
~ Host of (Parent-Teacher) #PTchat Weds 9EDT

28. Building Parent-Teacher
Relationships going FORWARD
A chance to show your
investment in face to
face communication,
relationship building.

29. What is the best means of 2 way
communication for you?
http://bit.ly/PTChat2Way

30. How you will differentiate for varying
home tech environments?
ASK - "What access to online resources
does your child have at home?"
10 Websites to Bookmark on your
student’s home computer:
http://bit.ly/HomeComputerBookmarks

31. Before the meeting ends, reinforce
collaboration
ASK: "how can
"we" better meet
the needs of your
child?"

32. Demonstrate Partnership
Small gestures show
the extra care and
commitment you will
deliver to child
throughout the
school year.
When possible, walk
the parent out.

33. Questions & Comments?

34. Resources to Share
http://vols.pt/4r (caps matter)
Link to recorded webinar
Articles, check-sheets and templates for Teachers
Articles & Links to share with Parents
Tech Guides for Teachers & Parents

35. Karen Bantuveris Joe Mazza Lisa Dabbs
Founder & CEO Principal, #PTChat #ntchat, Edu Consultant
@VolunteerSpot @Joe_Mazza @Teachingwthsoul
@VSpotMom
Greg Garner Pernille Ripp Glenn Yetter
Educational Technologist 5th Grade Teacher 6th Grade teacher
@Classroom_Tech @Pernille Ripp @CoachYetter

36. FREE, Easy Parent Conference
Scheduling & Reminders
VolunteerSpot.com
Please stay for a
quick DEMO (< 5 min)

37. VolunteerSpot Demo

38. Parents Get Invited

39. Parents Click to Sign Up
NO PASSWORDS

40. Choose Their Spot

41. Choose Their Spot

42. Confirm Their Spot

43. Stay Connected

44. How VolunteerSpot
Works

45. Register or Sign In

46. Launch Planning Wizard

47. Choose your Activity
Type

48. Enter Activity Info

49. Premium
Add Extra Info. Fields Version Only
Up to 5 Fields

50. Enter Organizer Info.

51. Select First Conference
Day

52. Plan the Day

53. Add ‘Spots’: Jobs,
Shifts &
Things to Bring

54. Add ‘Spot’ Details

55. Add More ‘Spots’

56. Add ‘Spot’ Info.

57. Conference Time List

58. Review Spots

59. Status Calendar

60. Copy Day

61. Copy Day

62. Wa – La!

63. Send Draft to Review

64. Invite Parents to Sign up

65. Invite Parents to Sign up

66. Copy Entire Sign up

67. Give Activity a New
Name

68. Continue for Each
Teacher

69. How VolunteerSpot
Works

70. Activity Status View

71. More Assistance