Academics · Subject Resources

What the teacher said,
and what happens next.

Fifteen minutes with a teacher goes fast, and a week later the details blur: who was going to send what, and by when. Write down the strength, the concern and each action with a date, as soon as the conference ends. The organizer lists open actions across every class and flags the ones that slipped.

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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Study skills kit, $29 for 30 items.

Conferences

The worked example is made up: a fourth-grade conference with a reading plan, a seventh-grade math conference where the teacher’s promised list never came and a science call with no action agreed. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject Resources$5

What you finish with
A record per conference: date, child initials, teacher and class, format, questions, progress in the teacher’s words, one strength, one concern, actions with who, what, a date and whether done, a check-in date and five checks. Works out actions agreed, open and overdue; lists open actions across conferences by date; flags overdue actions, a concern with no action and no agreed way to stay in touch.
Who it is for
Parents and caregivers going to parent-teacher conferences, from preschool through high school.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per conference. Prints one conference, every conference in a table or a blank notes sheet to bring; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Study skills kit ($29) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Print the blank sheet and bring it.
  2. Write the strength and concern in the teacher’s words.
  3. Agree one action each, with a date.
  4. Enter it the same evening.
  5. Check the open actions each week.

Add a conference

A conference, start to finish

Getting the most from a conference1BeforeWrite two or three questions;ask your child what to raise.2Open with strengthsAsk what is going well, withan example.3Look at workA real piece of work says morethan a grade.4Agree actionsOne step each: home, school,the child.5Stay in touchHow and when you will hearfrom each other.6AfterTell your child, strengthsfirst.Getting the most from a conference1BeforeWrite two or three questions; ask yourchild what to raise.2Open with strengthsAsk what is going well, with an example.3Look at workA real piece of work says more than agrade.4Agree actionsOne step each: home, school, the child.5Stay in touchHow and when you will hear from eachother.6AfterTell your child, strengths first.
Conferences are short. Notes and agreed actions are what carry them into the rest of the term.

Questions that work

Specific questions get specific answers: “What does she do when she gets stuck on a word problem?” tells you more than “How is she doing?” Ask your child beforehand what they want you to raise.

When a promise slips

Teachers are juggling many families. A short, friendly email that names the action and the date agreed (“You mentioned sending the list of missing work by Oct 24”) usually gets it done.

Sources

  1. Harvard Family Research Project (2010). Parent-teacher conference tip sheets for parents.
  2. Henderson, A. T. and Mapp, K. L. (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. SEDL.
  3. National PTA. Parent-teacher conference guide (pta.org).
  4. Center for Parent Information and Resources. Parent-teacher conferences (parentcenterhub.org).

The worked example is made up. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.