Checklist for the parent meeting
The goal of the meeting is simple: the parents go home with a good impression of each other, of you and of the school. The rest is practical. Tick things off as you go, or print the list and bring it along.
The group tasks
Parents rarely know each other well. If they sit in groups and talk about something concrete for fifteen minutes, they go home with a completely different impression of each other than if they sat quietly listening to you. That is the whole point of the tasks. The answers are a bonus.
Say it clearly before you start: the groups are not meant to agree on anything. Nobody presents a decision. They just talk.
Homework
What role should the parents have when the child does homework? Sit next to them, check afterwards, or stay out of it? People have very different answers here, and it is useful for them to hear that.
Birthdays
Who gets invited, and how? This is the one thing many classes actually need a shared norm on, because the children are the ones who notice the difference. Three common ground rules:
- Everyone in the class is invited.
- Nobody from other classes is invited to class birthdays.
- Invitations are handed out in free time, not in the classroom or the cloakroom.
Screen time, bedtime and age ratings
When do we put the children to bed? How long do they get to play? And what do we do about a game rated 12 when half the class already plays it? The strict parents often feel alone in it. Often they are not, and they only find out when someone says it out loud.
Clothes in year 1 and 2
In the early years a lot of the contact with parents ends up being about mittens. Take it early: what has to be in the bag all week, what is needed on the outdoor day, and what happens to whatever gets left behind in the cloakroom.
The ones who did not come
The most common reaction in the staff room the next day is "and of course the ones who should have come did not". Do not say it. You do not know why they stayed away, and quite often they are struggling with something.
Call them the day after. Introduce yourself, say who you are and that you are their child's teacher, and tell them briefly what you talked about at the meeting. That phone call is often the best relationship-building you do all autumn.
Tools you can use
- Seating chart makes the map you hang on the door, so the parents find their child's seat. Open Seating chart
- Name tags give you one tag per desk in a few minutes. Open Name tags
- The weekly plan is where the meeting date belongs, since it is what the parents actually read. Open Weekly plan
- The back-to-school checklist covers the rest of the autumn. Open the checklist
Frequently asked questions
How long should a parent meeting last?
An hour to an hour and a half. Write the finishing time on the board when you start, so people do not have to wonder whether they will make pick-up.
When should the invitation go out?
Two weeks ahead, with a reminder one week ahead. That gives people time to swap a shift or find a babysitter.
Do the groups have to present anything?
No. The point is the conversation. If you still want a round, ask each group to say one thing, not sum up everything.
What are FAU and SU?
In Norwegian schools, FAU is the parents' own working committee. SU is the cooperation board, where staff, parents, pupils and school management sit together. A class usually only elects a representative to FAU.