Workshop Reflection: Parent-Teacher Interviews

Workshop Reflection: Parent-Teacher Interviews 

The parent-teacher interview workshop delivered by Luke Polozzi was both beneficial and informative. It gave me a better understanding of how to conduct effective and professional interviews with students' parents and/or guardians. The workshop was divided into separate parts and included various strategies that can be used to create an environment where meetings are more likely to be positive and collaborative.

One key takeaway from this workshop was the importance of setting a positive tone right when the interview begins. The use of simple actions such as greeting parents warmly and starting the meeting with open-ended questions such as, "Do you have any questions about your child's report card?" can help make parents feel welcome and start the meeting off on the right foot. The workshops emphasized the importance of building a sense of trust with parents and how silence can be used to encourage open dialogue. This resonated with me as I have personally seen how many parents come into a parent-teacher interview feeling anxious/unsure. 

I appreciate that this workshop highlighted the different types of parents and made note that as teachers we may experience parents who can be aggressive, distracted and even manipulative. Professor Polozzi made it a point to repeatedly emphasize that as teachers we mustn't get baited into situations that can come back and harm us i.e. talking about other students, colleagues, admin etc. I enjoyed the use of real-life experiences as they shed light on issues teachers may experience and the importance of remaining calm and professional. 

I found this workshop to be extremely beneficial as it provided me with tools that can be used to handle difficult situations while maintaining clear boundaries. Overall, I feel that this workshop has made me more confident and prepared for parent-teacher interviews. I look forward to using the information that I have gained in this workshop while building and maintaining strong partnerships with families to ensure students receive the support they need.

EDU 491 OTECD - JefferyF@NU