Cooperative Learning Versus Collaborative Learning

In the 21st century, teamwork is deemed an essential part of learning in the classroom. Now, This did not come as a surprise to many people.  Bringing students to work together for the good of learning can be traced back even to, Socrates. Socrates was an avid believer that lecturing was not a method of teaching students that was effective.  Especially now because generally the work atmosphere calls for teamwork. It is the norm in the modern industry so students need to learn this skill even from a young age.

 The issue with integration of children into the teamwork spirit, is the fact that it may result in more work, for the teacher initially. While that may be true, but once procedures have been established then the rest is manageable.

 Then the only thing remaining for the teacher is to establish the mode of learning, either cooperative learning or collaborative learning. This is the part that I find confuses teachers. Hopefully, I can clear this up.

 Now before I go into what Cooperative and Collaborative learning is, I want to suggest that your students receive explicit instruction as to what constitutes being cooperative and how to work collaboratively. In other words, you wouldn’t just take a group of 4 kids put them together, give them a task and say go for it. I dare say that the learning objective would not be successful.

  So, what I am saying is, before you build out your cooperative learning teams there needs to be explicit instruction, practice, role modeling, and plenty of feedback given to the students.  Then after some practice sessions, at that point develop your teams.

 Something to consider, even after teams are established, you as the facilitator will have to continue to monitor and adjust accordingly.

What is Cooperative Learning:

 This method of learning relies heavily on interdependence of the students among each other. In other words, the role of each team member is clearly mapped out but can be negotiated. The most important part of cooperative learning is accountability.  All the activities are structured by the teacher and each student has been given a specific role in the activities.

 The students are not left to their own devices in seeking the information relevant to the content. The teacher supplies the information or at least directs the students on where the information can be acquired.  

The teacher acts as a facilitator with respect to the teams. The teacher listens, observes and can even intervene in the discussions if he/she feels this is necessary.

 The students submit the complete task/project at the end of the lesson or the discussion. The teacher then reviews or assesses the task and offers feedback to the respective students involved.

 Success of the team is highly dependent on the efforts and the accountability of all the individual members involved in the assignment.

 Realities of Cooperative learning:

 Cooperation involves interdependence. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined but are open for negotiation.

 A cooperative learning structure takes the following form:  There are [5] points here.

 l  Activities are structured with each student assigned a specific role (teacher-structured)

l  Teachers supply information for students to read and analyze (or let pupils know where this info can be found)

l  Teachers observe, listen and intervene where necessary

l  Students submit work at the end of lesson for evaluation/assessment

l  The success of the group depends upon the efforts of everyone involved

 Cooperative Learning projects limit the resources, assign roles, and distribute jobs so everyone is held responsible and accountable for their own contribution.

 Two Important points: 1) Simply putting children in groups is NOT cooperative learning. I just want to be clear about that. And 2) Team projects are typically not graded – however, feedback is given.

 Now let’s turn our attention to Collaborative learning.

 Collaborative learning on the other hand means that the students come together to work on a project as a team. (Now collaborative projects are usually reserved for older students.)  

Each student is responsible for their own individual work separately. The students are also in charge of the work as a team.

In this mode of learning, each student makes progress individually in-line with the progress made by others. If this method is properly directed by the teacher, then the students themselves can learn to manage the method with no further instructions. There are many benefits of collaborative learning. For example, it helps the students to recognize the aspect of differences, both in themselves and in others through working separately, but in tandem. They learn to respect the differences in others, and use it to their advantage.

 The following is the basic layout of the collaborative learning process:

•  The learning is group-structured. This means that the students organize and divide the work between themselves. They also organize their team members by themselves.
•  The students outsource material that will aid them in completing the task.
•  The activities conducted by the group are generally not monitored by the teacher. However the teacher can offer assistance if the same is requested of them by the members.
•  The students do their own assessment of both their individual and group performances.
•  The success of the group generally depends on the success of the individuals in the group.

 The realities of collaborative learning

 It’s important to remember that effective collaborative learning does not necessarily come easy. Making a move to a new kind of learning experience is not a quick fix, and may necessitate a change of mindset for everyone involved. Not just your colleagues, but your students, and potentially you, too. You should see the transition to collaborative approaches as a journey, which you’ll all embark upon together. As you get further, you’ll continually assess and refine approaches to ultimately gain a view of how collaboration works most effectively in your school.

 With that said, it’s not an overwhelming proposition either. There’s no need to throw the baby out with the bath water, you should implement collaborative and cooperative approaches under the right circumstances for your students and your curriculum.

 While putting some initial planning and thought in up front will naturally be required, transitioning to collaborative learning principles won’t require more work in the long term. It just demands a different kind of work. Work in which your role has changed, as you become more of a moderator, supervisor and occasional guide, rather than a leader.

 The beauty of a collaborative approach is that it offers such flexibility, so you can group students together in the optimum way and refine and adapt groups as you travel along your journey. As a learning experience, collaboration offers a full range of models which can be adapted to suit whole-class, multi-team and small-team settings.

 Most importantly, an effective collaborative approach does not lose sight of the individual. You know how unique each student is, and you know how important it is to tailor your approach to their distinctive learning styles. Collaboration, done right, plays to this perfectly. There’s still room for personalized instruction and guidance from you to ensure all attitudes and abilities are accommodated.

 A collaborative approach doesn’t assume that everyone will travel at the same speed. The brighter children will not be held back, as they will have an inclination towards guiding the outliers. And the outliers will benefit from a stronger network of group support and direction.

Now here are the similarities between cooperative and collaborative learning

Here are just some of the similarities that exist between a cooperative learning and collaborative learning approach for students:

·         Rely on active student participation rather than passive, lecture-based teaching

·         Students assume a degree of responsibility for their own learning
·         Teachers act as facilitators to learning
·         Require pupils to complete a task/project
·         Instill team building skills and encourage social interaction
·         Help to prepare students for the world of work
·         Enhance deeper cognitive skills

The differences between cooperative and collaborative learning

Collaborative learning

Students progress personally, while collectively working towards a common goal. Students are accountable to one another and, with appropriate direction, will self-manage this. Pupils learn to better understand and anticipate difference, recognize it in themselves and others, and use it to their advantage.

A typical collaborative learning process:

·         Students organize their efforts between themselves (group-structured)
·         Students source material to help them complete the activity
·         The activity is not monitored by the teacher (although they can help when assistance is requested by the group)
·         Students assess their own individual and group performance
·         Success depends on individual strengths
 Whereas In Cooperative learning

Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined but are open for negotiation. This method of collaboration brings with it a strong sense of accountability.

In contrast to collaborative learning, a cooperative learning structure takes the following form:

·       Teachers supply information for students to read and analyze (or let pupils know where this info can be found)
·         Teachers observe, listen and intervene where necessary
·         Students submit work at the end of lesson for evaluation/assessment
·         The success of the group depends upon the efforts of everyone involved·         Create shared learning experiences
·         Increase levels of information retention
·         Embrace student diversity  

 Benefits of Cooperative and Collaborative Learning:

 The following are the major merits of social learning:

•  The students come to recognize, respect and embrace the differences in culture among their classmates.
•  They are more valuable means of building the performance and progression of the students.
•  It improves the social skills of the students: The students get a sense of confidence. This is because every student realizes their opinion is relevant and counts for something.
•  Modernization of the learning process: In modern times social learning can be easily done through the use of internet. It can be achieved through the use of video conferencing solutions such as ezTalks
•  Meetings. These help you to communicate with your students easily. It can also aid the students themselves to work on a project together,  but while at separate locations. That is the modern learning world.
• The modern work environment requires the workers to have social skills as it is a place where they have to work together. Imbedding the skills of teamwork in students is crucial from a young age. It is these skills that are propagated by collaborative and cooperative learning.

Teaching During A Pandemic And Distance Learning

 Let us take a look at 7 tips that will undoubtedly help teachers to create the best possible outcomes!

1. Be Optimistic! The basic idea is about being positive whenever we are around our students. The pandemic might have given us a bad taste in our mouth, but at the same time, the students are also equally beneficiaries of the havoc the pandemic has created. So, when we are in our online classrooms, be happy and positive. There probably can be a multitude of issues with setting up an online class. The internet bandwidth might not be helping us to communicate, or the students might be attentive throughout the class. Whatever the issues that might arise, stay calm and confident. Never pass any negative comments about the process of education which is happening right now. When we teachers seem to be satisfied and optimistic about the change in-scenario, students will also feel comfortable with it. But if we as teachers keep complaining about the difficulties, we have to undergo for the sake of having classes online, students will only feel more and more stressed. 

Using phrases like, "When we're back in class together next year" and addressing the future with positivity can boost student morale and keep their spirits up. The happier your students are, the harder they will work in class.

2.   Practice and keep practicing! When the teacher is happy and optimistic about the change of scenario, then the first thing to be done is to start practicing and get better! Since online teaching is new for most teachers, we have to follow the golden rule passed over for generations. If we need to be good at something, keep practicing. Keep on practicing and making things better each day.

Practice making videos for your classes. Practice different lighting and sound setups so your students can get the most out of your videos. Practice making answering student e-mails a regular part of your day. Practice having online hours to speak with your students. Practice making a new curriculum that will teach your students what they need to know amidst the crisis the world is facing. Practice using apps and teaching your students how to use the technology they will need to continue getting an education during distance learning.

Have a plan about how to keep things more interesting and alive. Keep on updating various innovations and practice using them.

3.   Communicate with the students. Talk to students about how things are going with them. They are away from the normal classroom and school. They have started studying at home. The timetables are different. The way they make use of their free time has changed, and so on. Things are different and try to address the shift they are facing. Address the issues that are happening with Corona around. The research that is happening for the vaccine. Remind your students that it's good to be informed about world events, but that fixating on news articles about COVID-19 can do more harm than good. Suggest only reading articles about the virus once a day and only from credible sources like the World Health Organization. This will help prevent the spread of misinformation and reduce stress. 

4. Be Available! Even though after being months into online classes, students still might have a lot of questions about how online classes stack up to their in-person counterparts. And communication becomes the key to help them out. 

To communicate more effectively, the teacher should be available for students for a particular time, other than the regular class hours. Sending out a weekly e-mail detailing new videos, readings, and assignments for the coming weeks can also be incredibly helpful for keeping students organized. Having online office hours will also be a game-changer for both teachers and students during the coronavirus pandemic.

And now, when the teacher is available, try to communicate effectively. As teachers continue to transition to online classes, students are going to have a boatload of questions to ask. What's changed in our class? What's due and when? Is there any make-up work I can do to help boost my grade? How can I cope with depression while trying to get my schoolwork done? What classes will be live and what won't? How are exams going to work during the pandemic? Does our curriculum still apply?

The teacher can help them with their queries and make them comfortable with innovations. Having the teacher explain things in a much friendly manner will only result in comforting the student and boosting confidence for school. 

5.   Create a sense of community. Online classes are an isolated setup. Being alone in school is entirely new for the kid. So, teachers should try to create a sense of community, even though it is completely virtual. Our students are used to being in a community atmosphere when they are in class. They are used to seeing their friends and having assignments with other students. The sudden shift to social isolation can leave our students feeling downcast, which can distract them from learning. Some teachers create a WhatsApp group for the class, that students may exchange their numbers and stay in contact with each other.

6. Make a routine. As we said about practice, so should we be more interested in keeping up a routine. Being teachers, we know how easily kids can get distracted with other things if we are not motivating and inspiring them to nail down their routines of studying and getting prepared for the class. Children thrive when they have consistency and routine in their lives. Once you make a class schedule, do not deviate from it. Something that is introduced as a new approach should only be introduced after having thorough research. Once something is introduced and the students start using it, do not change or shift to something new suddenly. 

Keep up with a routine of how things happen. Jumping from things, especially when it is with technological kinds of stuff, kids can easily get distracted. 

So, to be sure implement a routine with your virtual class!

7.   Assign work that matters! This particular context of time has got many students to experience stress and anxiety over their future, and teaching online during COVID-19 should never be the time to assign students with busywork. Make sure to provide accurate, helpful, and engaging materials. For example: try these methods: 

Assign stimulating or creatively challenging homework. 

Have regular live-chats or video tutorials to ensure your students are grasping the work assigned. 

Try being funny and engaging as you teach. 

Break learning up into smaller sessions, or sizeable chucks that are easily digested by anxious students. 

It can also be helpful to acknowledge a student's work, commenting on what they did right and what they can improve at. Knowing that a student has your attention and is being assigned goals will help keep them motivated.

So, just having a very good understanding of the uncertainties that are linked to the student’s life can help the teacher in being better prepared for making things easier for them. The 7 tips which I have just mentioned are very good recommendations from teachers across the world, who have tried implementing these, only to see wonderful progress in their students and the way they react to  online classes. 

Now, the most important part of this episode is in introducing and acquainting teachers with the different platforms that offer a sophisticated and effective interface for the teachers and students to have a good time learning. 

I will be suggesting a few educational applications, platforms, and resources below that aim to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of school closure. Most of the solutions curated are free and many cater to multiple languages. These tend to have a wide reach, a strong user-base, and evidence of impact. They are categorized based on distance learning needs, but most of them offer functionalities across multiple categories.

There are different categories of platforms which the UNESCO has studied and promoted. We will be taking a look at 3 of them. Here we go!

1. First, let us take a look at some Digital Learning Management Systems. 

A Few of them are:

a.    CenturyTech: CENTURYTECH is the tried and tested intelligent intervention tool that combines learning science, Artificial Intelligence, and neuroscience. They are personal learning pathways with micro-lessons to address gaps in knowledge, challenge students, and promote long-term memory retention. They support teacher interventions. 

b.   ClassDojo: It connects primary school teachers, students, and families through communication features, such as a feed for photos and videos from the school day, and messaging that can be translated into more than 35 languages.

c.    Google Classroom: Now, Google Classroom is a free web service developed by Google for schools that aims to simplify creating, distributing, and grading assignments. It helps classes connect remotely, communicate, and stay organized.

d.   Edmodo: Edmodo is an educational technology company offering a communication, collaboration, and coaching platform to K-12 schools and teachers. Their network enables teachers to share content, distribute quizzes, assignments, and manage communication with students, colleagues, and parents. They take the ideas of a social network and refine them and make them appropriate for a classroom.

e.    Schoology: Yet another, and a final platform that I will introduce in this category is Schoology, which is a social networking service and virtual learning environment for K-12 schools and higher education institutions that allow users to create, manage, and share academic content. They intend to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their potential.

 

2. Second category, we shall have a look at some Self-directed learning content. 

a.    BYJU’S: BYJU'S is the world's most valuable ed-tech company and the creator of India's most loved school learning app. Launched in 2015, BYJU'S offers highly personalized and effective learning programs for K-12 and aspirants of competitive exams. With 50 million registered students and 3.5 million paid subscriptions, BYJU'S has become one of the most preferred education platforms around the globe.

b.   LearnEnglish Kids: This platform supports parents whose children can't go to school at the moment. They have tips and advice about helping children practice their English at home. This is an initiative by the British Council. They have lots of free online games, songs, stories, and activities for children. For parents, they have articles on supporting children in learning English, videos on using English at home, and information about English courses for their child.

c.    Onecourse: Onecourse is a comprehensive, modular course for children. Children learn to read, write, and become numerate on tablets by working through a carefully structured course made up of thousands of engaging activities, games, and stories. Onecourse is designed to be adapted into many different languages also. 

d.   Discovery Education: Through this platform, the students could explore resources and instructional materials about viruses and outbreaks. With the recent spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), students need to learn about the science behind viruses and understand individual measures that can be taken to limit exposure and spread. This collection of resources provides timely updates regarding the coronavirus, describes what a virus is and how it spreads, offers an overview of the history of viruses and outbreaks around the world, and reveals essential guidelines for staying healthy.

e.    Duolingo: Duolingo is an application to support language learning. They provide personalized education, for everyone learns in different ways. They support numerous base and target languages. The approach they have received is interesting for they have incorporated games, which would help students to learn a new language through playing games!

3. lastly, we are going to discuss a few platforms that act as tools for teachers to create digital learning content.

a.    Nearpod: Nearpod is a kind of technology-integrated learning environment that allows teachers to create presentations, interactive activities, and assessments, organized in lessons. Several formats are supported including some form of virtual reality (VR) lessons. Each of these can be inserted into a slide. Lessons exported to students can run as mobile applications or as a web client. Student activities can be tracked, e.g. the teacher can see activity completion.

b.   Pear Deck: Pear Deck offers a web-based application for K-12 schools and teachers. They create flexible content-area templates so the teacher can easily insert beautiful, instructional-effective prompts into any lesson. Editable and adaptable, they're ready to be mixed, matched, and dropped into the lessons (new or existing). To supplement those prompts, they use trusted sources to create meaningful, ready-to-teach activities.

c.    EdPuzzle: Edpuzzle is an easy-to-use platform allowing you to engage every student, one video at a time. They unlock the power of videos through simple editing tools and dazzling student data. The process is simple - find a video, add questions, and assign it to your class. Watch as they progress and hold them accountable for their learning journey.

d.   Kaltura: Kaltura Video Cloud Platform for Education is a single platform purposefully built to power real-time, live, and VOD (Video On Demand) experiences for online programs and virtual learning. The Kaltura Video Platform for Education includes a range of products for virtual classrooms, lecture capture, webinars & live events, and student outreach — all designed to create engaging, personalized, and accessible experiences on campus and beyond. They have virtual classrooms with advanced moderation controls, collaborative tools like a whiteboard, screen share, content management playlist, breakout rooms, interactive live quizzing, and HD video sharing.

e.    Squigl: Squigl uses Artificial Intelligence to associate animated images from its library with keywords that it selects from your text. Those images are human drawn or render in accordance with neuroscientific guidelines for maximum attention and retention. Squigl automatically synchronizes voiceover with the video timeline to generate highly effective content. While Squigl can do everything for you, it also gives you full control over editing every aspect of your project.

f.     Trello: This is the final platform that I will introduce and recommend. Trello is a visual collaboration tool used by teachers and professors worldwide for easier coursework planning, faculty collaboration, and classroom organization. They help to plan, organize, and collaborate in real-time on any board, from any device. We can get input from students or parents on upcoming plans. We can also assign tasks and set due dates for events, organize meeting agendas to save time—even manage those constant requests for more whiteboard markers!

 

Most online courses, however, particularly those serving K-12 students, have a format much more similar to in-person courses. The teacher helps to run virtual discussion among the students, assigns homework, and follows up with individual students. Sometimes these courses are synchronous (teachers and students all meet at the same time) and sometimes they are asynchronous (non-concurrent). In both cases, the teacher is supposed to provide opportunities for students to engage thoughtfully with the subject matter, and students, in most cases, are required to interact with each other virtually. Online courses provide opportunities for students. Students in a school that doesn’t offer statistics classes may be able to learn statistics with virtual lessons. If students fail algebra, they may be able to catch up during evenings or summer using online classes, and not disrupt their math trajectory at school. So, almost certainly, online classes sometimes benefit students.

 

It is not surprising that in-person courses are, on average, more effective. Being in person with teachers and other students creates social pressures and benefits that can help motivate students to engage. Some students do as well with online courses as in in-person courses, some may actually do better, but, on average, students do worse in the online setting, and this is particularly true for students with weaker academic backgrounds. So, it becomes a challenge for us teachers to be more prepared to put out our energy and commitment to make the education process easier for our students. Students who struggle in in-person classes are likely to struggle even more virtually. And therefore, our commitment level goes a step higher when we are engaging them with online classes. 

Conducting A Parent-Teacher Conference

Today, we are going to talk about 12 researched and proven techniques that would definitely help teachers to conduct more effective and easier parent-teacher conferences.

The first point can be a basic problem and a primary concern. Flexibility of Time. We know that most schools set aside a particular date for parent-teacher conferences which can even be communicated to parent’s, months prior to the conference. Even though we are punctual and particular in letting the parent know about the conference, being teachers, we need to be mindful about the situation. Even though the school sets aside a particular date, try to contact the parents and make sure the allotted time is convenient for them. 

If the time is not convenient for them, try to be accommodating and schedule another time. Parents can be busy with work, or having more than one child. They may be preoccupied, or won’t be in town when the meeting is scheduled. If possible, if it’s convenient, schedule a phone or video conference. Be mindful of special situations, such as divorced parents, single parents, or guardianships. Some divorced parents, for example, may prefer separate conferences. 

Also, in this regard, I think we need to do more than just informing them about the conference. Try to give them reminders and if possible, try to get in touch with them over phone to make sure that they have received the information, and that it would be appreciated if they could make themselves available for the meeting. 

The research and studies show that there’s been a steep increase in the number of parents who believe that more intimate forms of communication like having face-to-face meetings with teachers are the most effective means to convey important information about students. The same study found a growing acceptance of digital methods. 

Sensing the opportunity, simple communication apps like ClassDojo, Spotlight, Remind, and Seesaw allow educators to send mobile texts, video summaries, and other alerts to parents about important school activities or their child’s recent academic or behavioural progress.

Taken together, these ways to communication are giving parents a deeper look into their children’s performance and experience in the classroom, while forging tighter relationships between schools and families. Educational apps have even played a vital role in updating parents about snow days and disasters like Hurricane Irma, while advanced features translate report cards into languages from Arabic to Vietnamese. 

So basically, the first thing before we conduct a parent-teacher conference is to try to be more mindful about the problems of the parents and be a total professional in our approach. Contact them and make them comfortable regarding the flexibility of time of the meetings. Keep them updated using the available technologies and mode of communication so that they won’t feel completely alienated when they attend a conference to discuss their children.

Okay! Keeping the parents updated is the first step to check out before conducting a conference. Just trailing this idea is the preparation that a teacher needs to make. Obviously, the teacher does not remain passive who just reaches out to parents, and that’s it. In fact, there’s A LOT MORE THAN THAT, FOR SURE!

So, the second point is, Be Prepared!

If the teacher is not prepared, the discussions would leave parents totally confused. Parents should leave a conference with a clear idea and concrete examples of what's going well and what areas need work.

And for that, the teacher needs to prepare a current and accurate record of each and every student. There are teachers who prepare the parents from the beginning of the school year about the methodology going to be followed and regularly keep them posted and updated. In such cases, the parents would be at least prepared with a vague idea of what they are to expect from a conference. 

In other cases, where the parent is not aware about the progress of their kid, it would help them if the teacher is prepared to brief them with what’s happening with their child. Review the students' grades and portfolios before the conferences. Jot down notes about each student, anticipate questions (that’s really a biggie) or parental concerns, and reread any prior parent communication so the teacher won’t miss a beat. 

If we are to be discussing any problems, make sure to have documentation, such as examples of misbehaviour or missed assignments. Also, make sure to inform parents about any problems before the conference. If a parent knows about a concern before the conference, chances are you'll both be better equipped to discuss possible solutions during the conference.

Let the parent know that you as the teacher is interested in their kid’s education and has been diligent in terms of rendering the best education possible. In turn, they will start trusting the teacher, and earning that trust is not to be considered something easy!

And the third point, which will also be the last point regarding the teachers preparations before having the conference, to have a Translator if neccessay. There can be parents who won’t understand English and find it difficult to converse with the teacher. In such cases, try to arrange to have a translator, who would make the parents feel comfortable. It is a tiny gesture, but something that definitely would matter.

Alright! 

We were just discussing how to get ourselves prepared for the conference which is about to happen. And now, the following seven points will be dealing with how effectively we can conduct a conference. 

Having said that, the fourth point will be about the teacher themselves! We are talking about Body Language. 

Always be aware about your body language. 

The atmosphere of the class and the teacher who welcomes the student and the parents should be a comfortable one, for the first impression that gets created will have a deep effect over the whole conference and the follow-ups that could probably happen. Crossed arms, tension, intense glares, rigid posture, frustrated and fidgety movements all convey negativity that will quickly sour the mood of a conference.

Be relaxed and welcome the parents with a warm smile. Extend a word of greeting. It is also important to consider their backgrounds and how body language has different meanings in different cultures.

If a parent who doesn’t understand English, appears for the conference, non-verbal behaviour can increase communication when there is a lack of language fluency. So, if you have a parent who is from another country where they aren’t big on direct eye contact, don’t force that. Instead, connect through smiles, open posture, a nice handshake, and a warm, sincere tone.

Set the right tone for your parent-teacher conference by shaking hands, stating your name and the subject you teach, and mentioning how happy you are to be teaching their child. Smile warmly, and offer them a seat.

Try to make the parents sit next to the teacher – side by side, rather than across the table. By arranging the furniture in a friendly and non-threatening way, teachers express their desire to partner with each parent, which diffuses tension on both sides. 

Incorporate to them the idea that parents and teachers are on the same team, striving for a common goal. The parents should get the idea that they are co-workers with the teachers for the betterment of their child. 

Now, when parents are quite comfortable with the atmosphere of the conference, slowly take control and start talking about the purpose of the conference. And, this brings us to the fifth point, Start off with Positives!

Just brief the parents about the goal of the meeting – about how they are here to discuss and share information about the progress their kid has made in the academic areas, and co-curricular activities. All parents wish to hear good things about their kids. So, begin with mentioning some of the positives, for example: “Did Joey tell you he was the first one to solve the difficult geometric problem yesterday?”

Do not always search for academic traits. Mention some characteristic traits, like being kind, helpful or hardworking – highlight those. Tell the parents how rare it is to see kids with such a kind and gentle heart these days. 

A good way to present this information is through “Glows and Grows.” Share a student’s positive achievements or traits that make them glow as well as two or more areas in which they can grow. End on a high note with another glowing detail or anecdote.

Always have in mind that human beings are more receptive to constructive criticism, even when they are facing bad news. When the parents sense the teacher’s hard work, honest attempts, and natural concern for their child, they will be able to understand the issue in the objective sense. 

Also, the parents may identify themselves with their children, and in many cases, they might have even experienced similar issues when they were young, or at school. So, it is vitally important to them that you see their children as individuals and that you like them. In some cases, you may have to search high and low for a success story. It's worth it if you want to be heard, when you recommend an evaluation, a change in a reading group, or an after-school tutor.

And now, as the conversation with the teacher and parents are progressing, the next step to consider is about Avoiding Educational Jargon. That is the sixth point!

Being a teacher, we are aware about the jargon and acronyms associated with the education system in which we are working. But, a parent-teacher conference is not the place to use them. While preparing ourselves for the conference, we might have looked upon several other documents and summative assessments, which has got the possibility of having jargon language which the parents may find confusing and not understand. And therefore, make sure to explain any terms, curriculum titles, or even some remarks on the progress reports which the parents won’t understand. 

Not everyone is familiar with Section 504s, diagnostic and summative assessments, PBL, or STEAM. So, speak to them in plain terms, and whenever such terms are used, explain to them what is means. Instead of using catchphrases or technical terms, try to demonstrate and describe it with concrete examples and materials. For example: instead of using the term “miscue”, just give them a particular instance where, Let’s say, Ben read “unimaginable” instead of “unmanageable”.

Also, while providing written reports of the students, make sure it is jargon-free as well. 

Making ideas and evaluations easier, can help parents understand more of their kid. When the parents are in-sync with the teacher in understanding their child, then the whole process of education and the aim of parent-teacher conferences has an impact. Trying to make it as simple as possible, makes the parent feel related to the issues and won’t feel alienated from the whole process of educating their child. One of the main reason why parents are not enthusiastic about meeting teachers is because of the idea that they possess only limited knowledge in helping their child with their education, and they wouldn’t want to make a fool out of themselves in front of the teacher and their child.

When things are simplified and presented, the teacher has to Be Open for Questions. The seventh point is all about being prepared to face questions. 

No matter how much we try to make things simplified and easier, parents will always have preconceived doubts and anxieties regarding the manner of education that is provided. Questions are to be expected.

One way of being prepared for this step can be by consulting more experienced teachers. Asking them about the frequently asked questions or getting to know the general anxieties of the parents. These can help a teacher to a great extent to be prepared to answer questions. Parents at particular grade levels may be preoccupied with testing, progress in reading, the transition to middle school, and other matters. While we don't want these concerns to overwhelm our agenda, we should be prepared to respond to them.

So, getting prepared for the questions and making sure the teacher gives them time for questions is a very crucial step in the conference. 

And when time for questions are given to the parents, the only role of the teacher is to be an Active Listener. And that’s the eighth point. 

The teacher must do nothing other than silently listen to whatever they have got to say. By active listening, plainly it just means not to interrupt the parent midway of their talking. 

Whatever justification or answer the teacher has, it should wait!

Listen completely and calmly, but at the same time, just take note of the important issues the parent raises. Create a perfect answer and justification for the questions. Try to recollect references for the issues, so that parents will find the answers to be authentic and satisfactory. 

Approachable teachers build a lasting connection with parents and promote a positive experience. Make sure that the students’ parents feel comfortable asking questions about their child’s academic success, friendships, and other traits. Be sure to ask parents if they have any questions at least twice during your meeting. You want to carve out time and space for them to talk so they don’t feel like they are being talked to and rushed out. Make sure they have your school email address so they know they can ask you questions at any point during the school year.

Once you have made sure to entertain questions, addressed any concerns, ask them for input about their child’s  strengths, needs, and learning styles, as well as their hopes and dreams for their children. Don't forget to ask these simple but important questions: "Does your child like school?" and "Why?" or "Why not?" That single line of questioning can give you a lot of information that can be helpful in the classroom.

Once questions are asked and concerns are addressed, then you can prepare a discussion. And so, the ninth step can be: Create A Plan!

Before the conference is concluded, make sure to create a plan for the students’ academic endeavours and also for the parents to be involved in the pursuit. Provide suggestions for activities and strategies to support learning at home. Spend the last few minutes of the meeting on your specific goals for the student. Note the kinds of strategies you'll use, the length of time you'll use them, and when you'll communicate to parents next. 

Be aware that parents do not want a laundry list to be dumped onto their lap. They need a genuine discussed plan. So, create an action plan that clearly lays out the specific steps that the teacher, the parent, and the student will need to take in order for the student to be successful. For example, if Johnny doesn’t complete home work because he has a difficult time writing fast, his action plan should include an agreement that he will notify the teacher when he needs help, that the teacher will meet with him to provide assistance, and that his parents will make sure that he spends time at home practicing his writing. 

Every single student will have room for improvement, even the gifted and over-achievers. Create specific goals for each student. Along with those goals, create an action plan with steps for improvement, as well as a timeline with milestones to gauge a student’s progress. Sharing this with parents can increase buy-in, since they will be able to see a clear path to success that has achievable benchmarks and goals that are part of a realistic, structured plan.

It is a real tough job for the teacher to create customized and individualised plans for each of his/her student. But, being professionals, we are the one’s responsible for the betterment of our students. So, whatever it may take, we have to make it happen. It will always help to create the best plans, when the teacher gets to know students more, in a personalised manner. 

But, unfortunately, being prepared won’t always result in the best outcomes. There can be instances when parents are completely indifferent and we will be thrown off-guard. The tenth step, therefore, will be about the precautions the teacher should take, if anything should go possibly wrong!

Never make assumptions about parents or students! When the parent is not at all cooperative or doesn’t try to understand what the teacher is intending, do not feel bad or make disparaging remarks about parents. Like: “Oh, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with that one!” 

And if the parent becomes hostile, do not further engage. No matter how much the teacher comforts them, and reaffirms them, there are parents who are used to hearing bad news and don’t trust teachers. They feel a need to defend their kid, or have something else in mind and would take out their anger on the teacher. 

In such situations, try to remain calm; as hard as it may be, and follow the  few tips from the National Education Association which will be of help:

• Emphasize the positive.

• Let the parents talk first.

• Use active listening. Don’t just stay quiet – really and mindfully listen.

• Discuss how both parties want what’s best for the child.

• Agree on a strategy and get on the same page before including the child in the conversation. 

Now, if things still do not get better, remember to stay professional. No matter how bad things are going, remember, teaching is a challenging job and there can be temptations to come off in an unprofessional manner during  conferences. 

Being a professional at a conference also means that several conversations or topics should never be discussed with parents, like:

• Speaking bad about the school administration or other teachers.

• Comparing students.

• Making another student and his/her family a matter of discussion.

• Blindly blaming parents for a child’s struggle or performance.

• Arguing with parents.

• Negatively portraying the human qualities of the students.

Even though, being a teacher is more than a profession, always be sure to maintain the professional outlook in every aspect.

Taking care of the above ten points can help a teacher in conducting a healthy parent-teacher conference. But, not without the next two important points.

The parent-teacher conference doesn’t end when the parent leaves the  classroom. 

To put it in other words, a parent-teacher conference, doesn’t end at all! 

Then?

The most crucial part and beneficial part of the conference is by keeping the lines of communication OPEN! 

The eleventh point, therefore, is about being in contact with the parents. 

Let them know about how happy you are that they showed up for the conference. A little “thank you” can go a long way! Many parents have to take time off work or hire babysitters to attend conferences, so consider taking the time to thank parents in a letter or email. You can also have students write thank-you notes to their parents or guardians for attending and supporting their learning. In the notes, remind parents to contact you if they have any further questions or concerns. 

By following up with the parents who showed up, make sure to send a form of communication to the parents who couldn’t make it to the conference, and ask them to reschedule the conference for another day, according to their availability, so that we will be able to discuss their child’s education and achievements. 

Bumps in the road can happen, but most of the parent-teacher conferences which happen, turn out to be meaningful and effective. Parents will feel so happy and comfortable that even some of them may turn out to be strong advocates of our classrooms. 

Always be focused over the goodness that can happen as a result of our hard work! 

Lastly, the twelfth point is about the need to Communicate Regularly! Be in regular contact with parents, updating them about how their child is progressing. Do keep a check on the plan they have created. Let them know about the ongoing assignments, home work, accomplishments, or other issues they are facing.

If there happens to be any issue, being in regular contact with the parents, the teacher can by himself/herself make instructional decisions that would make a positive change in the student’s achievement and growth in the classroom. 

And that brings us to the whole list of the 12 steps, which would help teachers in organizing a parent-teacher conference in the most-effective manner. Parents and teachers are on the same team when it comes to helping students achieve. Following these steps can help you create partnerships with parents and ensure that all your students are equipped to succeed. Parent-teacher conferences give both parties the chance to determine a child’s academic progress and create a plan for future success. Effective teachers plan ahead, listen to parents, and ensure each conference remains full of workable solutions that have the student’s best interest in mind.

Before we conclude the episode, we need to take a brief look into this matter from a different perspective – from that of a kid! 

Parent-teacher meetings are something all kids are scared of. But often these meetings can be used as a mode of motivating kids to do better. This can be done by appreciating the children in front of their parents when they come to the meeting. This will lead to children understanding that their good behaviour in school does not go unnoticed, that everything they do is being observed. This serves a dual purpose; children will be motivated to put on their best behaviour and will think twice before engaging in mischievous activities.

Sometimes, if the teacher has concerns to raise, it can be helpful for the kid to hear them from the teacher’s mouth. Often, children respond better to constructive criticism if it comes from the teacher, rather than the parent.

When a child comes along to a parent-teacher conference, they have an opportunity to speak one-to-one with their teacher about their learning. It gives them a right to reply, which helps them to take more responsibility. Children can also ask their own questions and raise any issues.

Even though it is generally called “parent-teacher conference”, the central concern of the whole conference is the student. All the discussions and decisions are to result in the growth and overall betterment of the student.  

So, being teachers, we are the one’s more responsible in creating the best ambience for the conference. Hoping that the above-mentioned steps would help you all out to have a better conference next time!