If you work in education, there is a very good chance that you have attended your fair share of parent/teacher conferences. Throughout my 12 years in education, I have attended dozens upon dozens of parent/teacher conferences. These meetings are so important for students. The more communication that can occur between all stakeholders, the more likely students will be successful academically, socially and emotionally.

However…if you have attended a lot of parent/teacher conferences, you may notice one thing that is often missing. The most important part of any parent/teacher conference – the student!

So, how can we bring students into these conferences and help them be their own advocates? How can we help them recognize their areas of struggle and the steps they need to take to overcome them? How can we help them ask for support?

Let’s let them lead their own meetings! Our students are more than capable of sharing about their performance in class and their areas of struggle. Instead of the meetings being centered on the parents and teachers, let’s empower our students to ask for support and participate in this important process.

In the video below, I will share with you a Google Doc template that can be used in parent/teacher conferences. This document contains:

• A form for students to complete before the meeting.
• A parent/teacher conference script for the student and counselor.
• An area to record meeting notes and the stakeholders who attended.

Interested? Watch this video!

Parent Teacher Conference Form (View)

Parent Teacher Conference Form (Copy)

Do students lead the parent/teacher conferences in your school and/or district? Would this be something you would be willing to try with your students? Share your thoughts in the comments below!