Communication
Communication
Because parents are important to make this meeting a success, it is very important too that the teacher concern comes up with a guideline that would make the parents feel comfortable and enable the teachers to communicate in the easiest way possible to ensure success of the ,meeting. In order to achieve this, the guideline of the parent-teacher meeting will take the following format.
- Begin by setting a stage for success. It is the first thing to do before the meeting begins beginning the meeting with a greeting and welcoming the parents. The introduction will make them very relieved and always ready to contribute in the meeting.
- Next, the introduction should be done for the participants of the meeting not forgetting to mention the roles of the participants in the meeting. Such an introduction will enable the parents know who is who in the meeting allowing them to freely contribute where necessary. It is always very hard to work with strangers and ones the introduction is done, there are no strangers any more.
- In order to merge the environment and it looks accommodative to all, administer a drink to bring about uniformity amongst the parties present. When parents take the drink like teachers do, the fear or nervousness they have always goes away because they feel like they are of the same group.
- It is also very important to share with the parents very interesting stories about their children to enable them know that you are well conversant with their children and then ask them what they feel the teachers can do to help their children in order to involve them.
- It is also very important to mind and be keen in the talk, this is the point where very many parents feel intimidated and become too low. The use of very hard academic jargons may make parents to switch off. It is therefore, important that teachers simplify their language and make sure that they use the simplest language and explain concepts even if one must have explained it severally in such meetings before. By doing this, the parents will feel a sense of belonging that will help them to participate.
- There is need to be organized. Organization will help both the teachers and the parents to follow the meeting from the beginning to the very end. When there is no organization, parents will get to ask what the next thing will be that increases their tension and reduces their concentration.
- Listen actively when it comes to the meeting time. Listening attentively will not only help the teachers to understand but to also show the parents that they don’t disregard them. It will show then that they are equally recognized.
- Never get emotional. Becoming emotional will just instill more fear in the parents and make them to stop responding effectively in the discussion. It is very important to control emotions in such meetings.
- It is also very important to ask them questions prior and subsequent to the meeting to prepare them on what to discuss about.
- It is very important to give the parents a task to perform at the end of it all. Giving then an assignment will enable them to assist their children when at home upon the issues that were discussed in the meeting.
- Conclude in a good note. Some meetings end without a conclusive remark; and that would be because of the misunderstandings that might have arisen.
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