Parent/Teacher Meeting Preparations
- Published: 20 October 2022
As schools prepare for parent/teacher meetings, the Leadership Support Team had a number of calls for guidance on this issue. Building on the Planning Prompts in last week’s E-scéal, the following might be considered when making decisions about the structure of these meetings.
Sometimes difficult conversations take place during the course of parent/teacher meetings. Meetings are tiring for teachers, especially after a day’s work, parents may be anxious about their child’s progress or difficulties and while most meetings will not present any problems, there is always the possibility of tension. These are the situations where ‘what if’ conversations with staff prior to meetings could prove helpful in achieving a better outcome if one is prepared.
For the past few years, meetings have largely taken place virtually. Currently, face-to-face meetings are being facilitated. The preferred method is the first decision that you make with your staff. Many schools offer parents the option of face-to-face, online or phone conversation. No one size fits all and it depends on the school’s capacity and context.
Generally, the meetings take place over the course of a week with one particular day arranged to cover the majority of parents in a class. On this day, the school may close half an hour before the usual closing time. Circular 14/04 states: “In each school year there will be one formal parent/teacher meeting. This meeting will normally commence at 3.15 and will end at 5.45 pm unless otherwise agreed at local level between all relevant parties.” The existing commitment under to a two and a half hour parent teacher meeting outside of tuition time also remains. Croke Park hours may be used to extend the duration of this meeting or to provide for formal parent/teacher meetings on more than one afternoon/evening.
The conversation might include:
- Time for each meeting
- Areas to be covered during the course of the meeting
- The language used by the teacher in communicating bad news from the parents’ perspectives
- If follow up meetings are required
- If a parent(s) become upset or even aggressive
- Support teachers meeting with parents – together with C/T or separately
- The preparation needed by teachers for the meetings (especially for NQTs)
- Recording of areas of concern
- Follow up to meetings where necessary.
Teachers may find this resource ‘Parent/Teacher Meetings - Guidelines for Teachers’ useful in their preparation for parent/teacher meetings.
Professional Conversations at Staff Meetings – What if Scenarios
- Published: 12 October 2022
Currently the incidents of children who pose flight risks in schools appears to be increasing. With this in mind, it may be opportune to discuss two “what if” scenarios. Each school has its own unique context and capacity and the procedures agreed following discussion would vary from school to school.
What if a child runs out of school and goes missing ----------?
What if a child has been identified as a flight risk -------------?
The discussions might include:
- Protocols and procedures to be followed in the event of the first scenario including notification of Gardaí and who does what, where and when.
- If an incident has occurred in the school a review of the incident might consider what worked well and what we would do differently.
- Where a flight risk is identified, a Health and Safety audit ought to should be undertaken to identify of risk and how these might be minimized or possibly eliminated. The HSA website may be helpful in this regard.
- To whom does this then need to be communicated? All staff and the parents of particular children need to know the protocols put in place to manage these situations. As with all communication this is best done before an incident occurs.
Once the discussion has taken place record the decisions made and submit them to the Board for approval.
Being proactive in this regard will lead to better outcomes should such unfortunate incidents occur.
Exhibitor Information Pack 2022 - INEC
- Published: 10 October 2022
What if – Staff Grievances
- Published: 06 October 2022
A staff member comes to you at 2.30 on Friday afternoon with a complaint about another staff member, demanding to know what you are going to do about it. You spend the weekend worrying about the situation and how you will sort it out. Sunday afternoon finds you dreading the following day as you know it will be difficult.
Where do rights vs responsibilities fit into this scenario?
What part does communication play in it?
How will you manage yourself?
Conflict is inevitable but combat is optional. The best way to address and speak about conflict is when an issue does not exist. Everyone has a right to have their issue addressed. However, they also have a responsibility to be part of an equitable solution. A win/win is the only right outcome.
Even though you, as a school leader will support and advise in a conflict situation, the problem does not become your sole responsibility to solve. When everyone is clear with regard to their own role and responsibility, there is a far greater chance that a win/win outcome will be achieved.
In order to achieve this clarity and understanding among staff in particular, professional conversations at staff meetings are advisable. The following might be considered:
- What local or national policies or procedures are available to deal with workplace relations?
- How do these apply to us in this school?
- If conflict arises what steps do we take to address it?
- What supports are available in helping us as a staff to manage what can become an emotive and adversarial situation?
In dealing with workplace relations, the INTO’s Working Together document, IPPN’s Dignity and Respect in the Workplace resource and the Teaching Council Code of Conduct will be supportive of the professional conversations among staff. It is essential to tease out in very specific terms how the rationale and code applies to each member of staff on the ground. A policy is all very well but the process of arriving at a specific policy for your school is the most important element.
Time taken to have these conversations is time well spent, considering the time, frustration and stress caused in managing conflict without a proactive approach.
See Dignity and Respect in the Workplace resource in the resources section of www.ippn.ie
Professional Guidance: What if scenarios – Part 1
- Published: 29 September 2022
Leadership is all about building relationships. Good communication with all in the school community will determine the quality of those relationships. Conflict occurs when communication breaks down, is poor, or not happened at all. When the potential for conflict is present how communication occurs becomes central to achieving a successful outcome for all. Over the past few weeks, managing the expectations of both self and others was explored. In order to create realistic expectations conversations are necessary in order to be clear about what each party can expect of others. Over the course of the next number of weeks we will look at what may be described as “What if” scenarios.
- A parent comes to you with a complaint about an issue between their child and a teacher
- A staff member complains that another staff member is harassing them
- A parent comes with an allegation of bullying
- A parent approaches other children in the school about bullying their child
Consider discussing these scenarios at staff meetings, BoM meetings and with the parent body to ensure that each person understands their role and knows the procedures to follow in each case. It is always best to have these when there is no issue needing resolution. Sometimes when engaging in a difficult conversation it can be useful also to have a repertoire of language as an aid to communicating well. In every aspect of school life especially where decisions are taken, always ask “To whom do I need to communicate this and how?” It may also be opportune to evaluate communication in general and the school communication plan if one exists. Communication is always a challenge and needs constant attention. The Communication Resource Bundle on www.ippn.ie may be helpful in evaluating and prioritising areas for review.
