The Three-Way Conference: Parent, Teacher, Child

Author(s): James Royce Hogan

Source: The Elementary School Journal, Vol. 75, No. 5 (Feb., 1975), pp. 311-315
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1000563
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The Elementary School Journal

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The Three-Way
Conference: Parent,

James Royce Hogan

Forest Hills School District

Cincinnati, Ohio

Teacher, Child

Parent-teacher conferences have be-

come a major method of reporting

pupils' progress to parents. An opinion poll conducted by the National

Education Association in 1971 indi-

cated that almost 85 per cent of th

elementary-school teachers who par
ticipated in the study believed tha
parent-teacher conferences should b
part of the reporting procedure (1
The increasing use of this techniqu
has improved the quantity and th

quality of information available to par

ents, but usually the essential partici
pant in the conference is not present
It is the child who has the greatest in
vestment and the most important in

volvement in the conference, yet h

has no place at the conference table.

William Glasser, author of Schools
without Failure, has urged that childre
be active members of conference

teams (2). Children are essential mem

bers, he believes, for they must und

stand evaluations that teachers and

parents make and help establish

reasonable goals.
This article draws on the experience of an elementary-school faculty

that included the child in parent-

teacher conferences. The suggestions

are based on extensive feedback from

parents, teachers, and children after

two years of experience with the

three-member conference team. Chil-

dren in Grades 1 through 5 took part

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312 THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JOURNAL

in the conferences in
this
school,
which
formed
participation
in their
child's

has an enrollment development.

of eight hundred
Parent-teacher conferences can

pupils.

For many years the report card

that uses the marks A, B, and C has

boast considerable success in com-

municating with parents. The face-to-

been a predominant form of report- face conference affords parents as well

ing. This report card is still used ex- as teachers the opportunity to question
tensively in elementary schools. In sec- and to listen. The subleties of growth

ondary schools, it is almost the only in the child can be explored. The val-

method of reporting student achieve- ues held by the parents and the
ment. In many elementary schools, the teacher can be discussed, and their
influence on the child assessed. Work
evaluations A, B, and C have been re-

placed by U and S, for Unsatisfactory habits and attitudes can be reviewed.

and Satisfactory. This marking system Strategies can be planned to achieve
has usually been applied to an exten- goals that the parents and the teacher
sive checklist of attitudes, behaviors, have established for the child. Such

and scholastic requirements, and the planning is more likely to be achieved,

checklists have been interpreted in and certainly more easily achieved, in
face-to-face conferences between par-

ent and teacher.

one conference than in a long series of

written communications.

Perhaps the most significant

Scheduled parent-teacher conferchange in reporting to parents is the ences fail to take into account some
belief of an increasing number of important developments in current
teachers that each child's achievement
thought. According to current thinkshould be discussed on the basis of his
ing, children are expected to be acability, not the achievement of his
tively involved in the process of educaclassmates. This trend in evaluation is
tion. Children are not seen as passive
part of the move toward individualizarecipients of knowledge passed out by
tion of instruction. If instruction is to
teachers or by textbooks but as active,
be tailored for each child, it appears
responsible participants in the pursuit
necessary to report progress on an inof knowledge.
dividual basis. Neither letter grades If these beliefs are held, it follows
nor checklists indicate discrepancies
that children should actively particibetween ability and achievement.
pate in the reporting of their achieveAnother influence on scheduled
ments and in the planning of future
parent-teacher conferences is the
inprograms.
terest of school groups, as wellChildren
as
want to know how they
community groups, in involving
arepardoing in school. Teachers usually
ents with the destiny of the school.
tell children about their work and parAdmittedly, the purpose of the
inticipation
through a mark or a score,
or written and verbal comments.
volvement may not be limited to
stimulating laymen's interest in cur- Scheduled conferences with pupils are
riculum development. Part of the pur- becoming common, particularly in
pose may be to gain laymen's support schools where individualization of inin school financing. Whatever the struction is being attempted.

purpose, the involvement surely serves

to nurture parents' interest in in-

As conference time between par-

ents and teachers approaches, children

FEBRUARY 1975

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CONFERENCE

313

become more concerned, even anxcludes the child. From the parents
ious, about the teacher's view of their viewpoint there are five distinct advan

work. They want to know what thetages:

teacher is going to tell their parents. 1. The child can see that his par
Frequently children accompany theirents and his teacher are interested in
parents to school on conference day,working together to give him the best
but wait outside the conference room.
educational experiences possible.
Later they may hear the parents' in-2. The child hears for himself
terpretation of what was said. Whenwhat
a is said about his work. The aura
of
school uses a two-way conference, the secretiveness is eliminated.
child learns secondhand from his par- 3. The expectations of the teacher,
ents about the goals that may have
the parents, and the child are heard by
all members of the conference.
been established, the behaviors that

are to be emphasized or changed.

4. The child has the opportunity
When the child is present at the to feel that he is involved in the as-

conference, he can hear for himself

sessment of his efforts and achieve-

the teacher's assessment of his

ment.

achievement, his behavior, and his

at- level of rapport betwee
5. The

titudes. He can decide whether there

are differences between his values and

the values the teacher used in the

the teacher and the pupil may be

vealed. The openness of communi

tion and the existence of mutual re-

evaluation. Similarly, the three-way

spect can be better assessed in the conconference can help make the parents'
ference than through incidental reexpectations clear to the child and
the
ports
by the pupil at home.
The first reaction of most parents

teacher.

The involvement of the child in set-

to including the child in the confer-

ting goals for achievement is a vital asence is to oppose the plan. However,
pect of the parent-teacher-child con-when they consider the inadequacies
ference. He should be expected to exof interpreting the conference to the
press an opinion about whether he can
child, they advocate including him.
do the work suggested in the confer-The reactions are not unlike those of

ence and whether he can agree to the

parents the first time they are
scheduled for a conference as an algoals that are established. The child
should be an active participant in the
ternative to the written report card.
discussion about the responsibilities of Including children in conferences

each member of the conference. What

has some limitations that can be over-

is the child to do? What time limits are

come with planning.

to be established? What will the
Some parents report that they find
teacher do to help? How will
the to ask questions about their
it difficult
teacher communicate to the pupil
child'sand
work. Parents are more likely to
to the parent? What will the parent
do
have difficulty
when personal probto help? When will the next conference
lems are complicating the child's
homelife. Parents are reluctant to disbe held? Many more similar questions

need to be asked and answered before

the conference is concluded.

A number of advantages are

achieved when the conference in-

cuss these problems in their child's

presence. Similarly, parents who have

ideas that conflict with the teacher's

are reluctant to expose the conflict in

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314 THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JOURNAL

press Some
observations
and recommendathe child's presence.
parents
doubt that the teacher
canterms.
honestly
tions in positive
For example:
report what the child
"Billy,is
your
doing
progress in
because
arithmetic will
continue and perhaps improve if you
stroying rapport with the child.
make it a point to get your work comAnother limitation is that parents
pleted every day." The soundness of

the teacher would be fearful of de-

this recommendation is obvious. It is

often lack the skill to state probing

easier to work toward an identified

questions in positive terms. It is useful
goal
to provide parents with guidelines
so than to avert past mistakes. Bethat they can word questions in a way
sides, incriminations and angry

that does not threaten the teacher or

glances can be channeled to positive

action. The second recommendation

place the parent in an arbitrary posi-

for teachers is to make sure that both

tion. It is helpful to provide parents
the parent and the child become inwith a list of suggested questions.
Teachers are also better prepared
if in the discussion. Most parents
volved

they can anticipate questions that are

theinterested in their child's work and
parent is likely to pose during the will
con-ask questions if they feel free to
their ideas. Children are usuference. Fortunately, many school express
districts use parent conferences as aally
re-easily involved. For the reluctant
porting procedure. In these districts,
child, the teacher may need to make
teachers have learned verbal reporting
special preparations. In fact, it is wise

to be prepared for every child to be

techniques through experience and
in-service training, and have become
reluctant to participate in the presence

skilled in discussing learning problems

of parents. The reluctance is generally

without damaging the child's selfeasily overcome if early in the conference the child is asked to discuss a reconcept and without alienating parents.

cent project, test, composition, or

Some parents express concernother
thatendeavor in which he was suc-

cessful.
children will become anxious during
the parent-teacher-child conference.
When children are doing well in
school, teachers will encounter few
Experience shows that some children
are anxious at the beginning, problems
but as in communicating with parthe conference proceeds they usually
ents. When children are not doing
become actively involved and the
anxiwell,
the conference presents a chalety disappears. When the child is
lenge
waitto the teacher's skill in com-

munication.
If there seems to be eviing outside the conference room
door,
his anxiety is greater than whendence
he inthat the child's ability is quite
cluded in the conference team.
limited, the fact may not be known to
For teachers, preparation for a
the parent or to the child. Yet during
conference that includes the child rethe conference the teacher must tell

quires little more effort than preparathe parent that the child works slowly.
tion for a parent-teacher conference.
The challenge here is no more difficult
Teachers who are skilled in conference
than that posed by verbal or written

procedures suggested in the booklet

reports to parents. In the three-way

conference there is the need and the

Conference Time for Parents and Teachers

should keep two recommendationsopportunity

in
to identify areas that call
for continuous attention. With the
mind (3). Teachers will be wise to exFEBRUARY 1975

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CONFERENCE

315

cooperation of
parent,
child are
more clearly his own,teach
and he
child, a strategy
to
achieve
knows that he
has two
partners in his
goals can be planned.
The ton
quest.

conference with the child must be con-

For children in the 1970's, the age

structive as in any written communica-of innocence passes early. Our under-

tion.

standing of children's development

Children's reactions to being in-suggests that they are wiser than we
cluded in the conference generally think and capable of responsible inparallel the parents'. When parents seevolvement in setting goals. The
the conference as an opportunity toparent-teacher conference can be

more effective if the child becomes an

observe their child, his work, his class-

room, and his relationship with hisactive

member of the team.

teacher, the child is likely to participate There are advantages to including

children on the conference team. The
actively.
child hears for himself his teacher's
Most children report that they prefer to be members of the conference
and his parents' evaluation of his work

team and give three principal reasons

and his achievements. The three-way
for wanting to attend. Children want
conference dispels the aura of secretiveness that surrounds conferences
their parents to see their work. Chilthat the child does not attend. The
dren want to hear the report of their

achievements from the teacher. Chil-

dren want to hear the teacher's en-

child can help report and interpret

some of the achievement he has made.

couraging remarks about their work

The in
child can see the cooperative interest of parent and teacher in helping
Children are fearful about conferhim attain educational goals. The child
ences for the same reasons that chilcan be actively involved in setting edudren do not want to carry writtencational
regoals and the schedule for atports home from school. They are
taining them.
fearful of their parents' reaction to
All these advantages are worthy of

school.

consideration of educators who

work that is rated inadequate. Ifthe
the

parents come to the conference to wish

find to improve methods of reporting

out where the child has not been successful or where he should have done

to parents.

better, the child is often defensive or

withdrawn.

References

The adult participants hold the key

1. National Education Association. "Reto the use of the conference as an opporting to Parents," NEA Research Bulleportunity for the child to be more retin, 49 (October, 1971), 81-82.

sponsible for learning. The adults

2. William Glasser. Schools without Failure.

sion to help the child assess his

strengths and establish reasonable
goals. Goals established with the

Row, 1969.
3. National School Public Relations As-

must view the conference as an occa-

knowledge and the participation of the

New York, New York: Harper and

sociation. Conference Time for Teachers

and Parents. Washington, D.C.: National
Education Association, 1968.

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