✅ Classroom checklists
Parent-conference prep checklist
Twenty minutes of prep that turns a dreaded conversation into a partnership meeting — including the hard ones.
The week before
- Pick 3 work samples or photos that show growth over time (September scribble → March circle person).
- Write the child's 2 glows and 1 grow — the grow stated as what you're DOING, not what's wrong.
- Prepare one genuine question for the family: 'What does she love at home that I might not see here?'
- If an interpreter is needed, book one now — a child should never interpret their own conference.
In the room
- Adult chairs, side by side, work samples between you. Never across a desk.
- Open with a story only someone who knows their child could tell.
- Camera language for concerns: what you see and count, never labels. Bring your observation notes.
- End with ONE shared next step, written down twice — one copy for each of you.
After
- Same-week follow-up note: thank them + restate the shared step.
- Calendar a two-week check-in on that step — the follow-through is what families remember.
Rehearse this skill
Print-friendly — use your browser's print for a clean copy.