Making the Most of Caregiver Conferences

Teacher conferences have a way of sneaking up on teachers. The first six weeks go by, routines establish, and life takes on a flow, just in time for conference time. Leah Thomas and I recorded a podcast about conferences that will drop on October 27. In the meantime, she and I have coordinated our posts to address this topic on the blog, as well.

The two of us were on a roll about writing workshops, assessment, and conferring when I interrupted her to define some terms for listeners, and it reminded me of the importance of language in a community. If caregivers are going to support writers and be part of the community, they need to know and understand the language. Therefore, I created a document of terms I use a lot when I talk about students and writing. You are welcome to use it, share it, and change it.

I remember a teacher saying to families– I was there as a parent– at an elementary school Open House, “Enjoy the ride, and leave the driving to us.” Thinking about those words, I also created a document about ways caregivers can feel like they’re productive passengers along the ride. Again, feel free to use, share, and revise this document to serve your own needs and philosophies.

Over the years, we’ve published many powerful posts about prepping for conferences and enlisting family support. Here are a few you might find helpful.

Preparing for Fall Conferences With Families

Enlisting Writing Support from Parents

Five Tips for Parents and Caregivers for Offering Feedback to Writers

Conferences are stressful, but important for collaboration and communication between the people who matter most to the learning lives of students. Please feel free to share any of your favorite tips and ideas to make them the best they can be. Look out for the TWT Podcast episode where Leah and I chat about conferences on October 27th!