Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Niagara University teaching conferences. Overall, it was a great experience. Being back on campus and seeing old friends, as well as making new ones, was much needed. The conferences I had the pleasure of attending were insightful, educational and rewarding. I truly feel that these conferences met their intended purpose of providing us aspiring teachers with the resources and strategies needed to succeed in our careers. From my personal experience, I can say that I left the conferences feeling more confident and prepared for what my future of being a primary teacher holds.
Although each of the conferences were beneficial in some way, there are two in particular that resonated with me. The first conference was presented by Luke Palozzi and his topic was on "Parent Teacher Interviews." The second one was held by Pat Tari and he discussed the "Importance of Parental Engagement." As future teachers, it is important to not only build positive rapports with our students, but with parents as well. Why is this? Well, the answer is simple. It benefits the students. Being collaborative and maintaining a strong partnership with parents helps to support children's learning. The best outcomes will emerge when parents and teachers can effectively communicate.
With that being said, the first conference that I will reflect on is Luke Palozzi's conference on “Parent Teacher Interviews.” One component of becoming a teacher that has always given me concern is parent-teacher interviews, especially being a young teacher. The thought of participating in parent teacher interviews and having a parent criticize me for being “younger” is something I thought about often. During placement this semester, I had the chance to sit in on parent teacher interviews, which I believe was extremely beneficial to my growth as a teacher. Before the interviews, my associate teacher and I had a short conversation about the reality of parent teacher interviews, and she told me that the most important thing to remember is to remain confident and professional. These words aligned exactly with what Luke presented during the workshop. The workshop discussed in detail many affective strategies, as well as the do’s and don’ts of how to conduct interviews. Some important takeaways that I received was to always reference curriculum documents, anecdotal notes, work samples and the report card. Another helpful tip was to always greet parents at the door so that they can feel a sense of comfort and be entered into a welcoming environment. It can be small gestures that make the biggest difference. Remaining respectful by keeping your emotions in check, allowing the opportunity for parents to talk and listening to parents’ concerns are all essential details to remember as well. “Awkward silence can be a beautiful thing, allow it to exist and you will be surprised by what fills it.” This statement surprised me because I always thought of awkward silence as something negative. However, when Luke wasdiscussing this quote, he mentioned that awkward silence can lead to the most authentic conversations between teachers and parents. All in all, I can truly say that I left this workshop feeling more assured and confident in my abilities to conduct professional parent teacher interviews as a future teacher.
The second conference, which connects to the topic of cultivating positive relationships with parents, was presented by Pat Tari. He discussed parental engagement and strategies to avoid conflicts and disagreements between teachers and parents. He gave excellent guidance on how to neutralize situations in order to prevent them from worsening into greater problems. In a perfect world, conflict in educational settings, or anywhere for that matter, would not exist. There is a chance that conflict will occur sometimes in your life. However, conflicts may not necessarily always be a negative thing because they can help develop problem solving skills, open our eyes to new ideas, teach us flexibility and listening skills. These are all essential qualities to communicating effectively with others. It is important to learn how to deal with different conflicts, both big and small. In this case, it is significant to learn how to interact with parents on a daily basis. Being an ECE for the past 5 years with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, I would say that I have gained valuable experience when it comes to communication with parents. Communication is key! Pat Tari touched upon the idea of making conversation with parents. For example, if you have morning duty and you see parents dropping off their children, it is important to always remain friendly and even start conversation with parents. This is something I can relate to working as an ECE. I remember having duty every morning and greeting both parents and children at the door. I made sure to welcoming them with a smile, say good morning and engage in conversation if necessary. I believe this can make a huge difference and allows you to start building a positive rapport with parents. Another topic he discussed was dealing with conflicting situations with parents. If there is a conflicting situation that arises in your teaching journey, take the time to ask yourself how to efficiently problem solve to overcome the problem. Listen to your own thoughts and feelings, but also consider why the other person feels the way they do. You may not always agree with them but understanding their point of view can help you communicate more effectively. All in all, conflicts will occur. It is how we choose to overcome and resolve these conflicts that will make the biggest difference in our lives and in our students lives
Standard 5: Continuous Professional Development is the OCT Standard of Practice that best captures my professional growth during these workshops. According to this teaching standard, members understand that a dedication to continual professional development is essential to good practice and student learning. Experience, research, and knowledge serve as the foundation for both professional conduct and self-directed learning. As upcoming educators, it is fundamental to remain dedicated and professional by reflecting on our experiences. Although I believe these conferences offered me great support for my future career, there is still so much to be learned. All in all, I will take everything I have learned from the teaching conferences and implement my practices into my journey as a primary teacher!
Resources:
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-teacher-conflicts-into-partnerships-mark-phillips
References:
Palozzi, L. (2023, March 22). Parent-Teacher Interviews. Niagara University Education Conference, Vaughan, ON, Canada.
Tari, Pat (2023, March 22). Parental Engagement. Niagara University Education Conference, Vaughn, ON, Canada.
Courtesy of Madaleine@NUO-491
