Why Thinking Like Martha Stewart Will Transform Your Conferences [episode 30]

Hey, there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to think like Martha Stewart for your upcoming conferences. And we’re sharing a clever teacher approved tip for your conference waiting area.

We start our episodes with a morning message, just like we used to do it morning meeting in our classrooms. Today’s morning message is how do you schedule your parent teacher conferences? So my kids schools use an appointment signup system that’s through the district Parent Portal. I do like that, okay, because I can pick whatever time I want. And then they’ll send me reminders. I think it’s so much easier to schedule digitally these days. Yeah, that just makes a lot of sense. And I haven’t done conferences in a while. But back in the day, my school actually scheduled them for us so that siblings could get timed right next to each other. But I think a system that lets parents sign up for themselves would be much more efficient for everyone. Oh, definitely. And we have a few responses from listeners, Katrina said, we use the free version of signup genius. It’s been great. I had a teacher friend help me set it up the first time, and I’ve been going strong ever since. Plus, once you get parents on board, you can use it for other things like donations or volunteers. Our whole school uses it so parents are used to it by now. I think getting the parents on board is probably the biggest hurdle. Yes. And said, we still do ours by hand because we tried to put conferences with siblings back to back, which is the tricky part of scheduling. Yes. And sometimes in my situation where I can go pick my own times, there aren’t available times to get my kids conferences back to back some time. So I can see that having somebody organize, it would be a lot of work but easier for the parents. Michelle also recommend SignUpGenius. She said, the site will send out reminders when conferences get close. It also allows for parents to change conference times if something comes up without involving me. Plus, it is free. Always a win with that one. Sue says that they use the Bloomz app, which is an app that we shared in a recent episode from teachers who also love it for school home communication. So it sounds like it’s great for scheduling conferences too. Renee also uses the Bloomz app and said scheduling conferences was the easiest. It was nice too, because one parent had to change times and all she had to do was cancel and pick up another open time slot worked perfect. We’d love to hear your response to this and other questions over in our teacher approved Facebook group, or on Instagram at @2ndstorywindow. And that is with a two.

I can attest to the fact that going to school for conferences is not always a comfortable experience on the parent side of things. Even knowing what it’s like from the teacher side, I frequently go in feeling uneasy, nervous and unsure where to go. I am always uncomfortable in a situation where I don’t know exactly what to expect. Uncomfortable is definitely not the feeling we want for parents when we’re looking to have a positive, impactful conference experience. In recent episodes, we’ve been talking about how to be a parent friendly teacher.

So let’s continue that discussion today by talking about what a teacher can do to make conferences a safe and positive experience for parents. And that really begins with preparing your space. So for our discussion today, we want you to remember the helpful acronym WWMSD. What would Martha Stewart do? Heidi, what’s the first thing Martha would want us to do? Well, the first thing Martha would do is definitely tell you to tidy up your space. Even if you have to shove stuff in cupboards a little un-Martha like, hide it out of the way. Sure you know that that stack of papers on the table is important. But to someone else, it just looks like clutter. So we’re going to clear it all the way. You want parents to come into a space that feels welcoming, calm and inviting and tidying is the best way to do that. I don’t know about you, but I always had piles of papers in random places around my classroom. Usually by the time I’d sit down and go through them, I’d find that 80% of them were things I didn’t really even need anymore. A cluttery classroom is definitely not a Martha Stewart vibe so conferences are a perfect time to tackle those piles or at least stashed them out of the way.

The next thing you need to do to prepare your space like Martha would is gather enough adult size furniture for your conference meeting area. Martha would definitely not expect her guests to sit on tiny chairs for tiny humans. Yes, so get the grown up chairs. Consider both parents, administrators, translators, anyone who might be attending. Steal folding chairs out of the gym if necessary. Parents will appreciate being able to sit on an appropriately sized chair instead of perching on a chair designed for six year olds, I can speak from experience how much I hate when I’m asked to do this, it definitely sends the wrong message for the teacher to be in an adult chair while the parents are folded into a tiny child’s chair.

And that leads perfectly into our next Martha Stewart must do for preparing your space, which is to be intentional when planning the table seating arrangement. Yes, where you sit says more than you might think. You want to think like a host putting the comfort of your guests at the top of mind. Just think about the message your seating arrangement is sending. Whenever possible, arrange the chairs on the same side of the table or desk. And it might feel a little uncomfortable at first, I’ll be sitting right next to each other, but you can make it work. When you sit next to parents, you signal that you’re all on the same team. No matter how friendly you are when you’re sitting across from parents, particularly if you’re behind the barrier of your big teacher desk. you convey the sense that you are the authority and their role is to sit down and listen. It will be hard to win over parents if their takeaway from your interaction is that you are the boss. You’re all on the same team here and sitting next to each other definitely shows that I love that tip.

Our next tip for preparing your space like Martha would is to protect privacy. A host would never put her guests in a vulnerable situation. Parent teacher conferences sometimes involve discussion of sensitive topics. So we want to make sure to provide a safe space for those conversations. With that goal in mind, look for a space in your room to hold conferences that won’t be too close to the door. You definitely don’t want the family from the next appointment overhearing everything you discuss, definitely not. If possible, try and gather a little ways from your classroom door. And it’s a bonus if the area you choose still lets you see the door clearly to know when other people arrive. If you have no other options, and your conference space has to be near the classroom door, just be sure to keep the door closed during conferences, and maybe consider setting up the hallway waiting area a little farther away from the door.

And speaking of the waiting area, the next thing Martha would do is design an inviting waiting area. Some parents will arrive late but lots of parents arrive early to conferences. So you should designate a clear waiting area outside your classroom. That makes it obvious where parents should go. Again, adult size furniture in the waiting area is also important. We really can’t emphasize this enough that we really hate kid chairs. So set up your waiting area with appropriate seating for those who will be waiting. Since you’ll be busy running your conferences, use clear signs to let parents know where they should wait, and what they should do while waiting. And don’t forget parents who speak languages other than English. They will appreciate signs in their native languages, if possible. It’s an extra step. But hopefully once you have them translated, you can use them over again. Definitely. And we know that nobody likes waiting. So plan something for parents to do while they wait. Do you think Martha would invite guests to her house and then not have anything for them to do while they waited for the other guests to arrive? Absolutely not. That would be shocking. The families would come into your conferences in a more pleasant mood if they have had something to do to pass the time. So you could set out student portfolios for parents to look through. Or a photo slideshow on your laptop of all the fun things you’ve been up to so far this year. slideshows are always a hit and they’re easy to put together. I’d like to put out a basket of the stories my students had written. Parents get a kick out of seeing what their student has been writing at school. And remember if you have forms or signup sheets waiting for parents to fill out while they wait. Don’t forget to provide clipboards and pens. One thing to be aware of though, is that some parents may be waiting for shorter times than others. So avoid putting out anything that you absolutely need returned. For example, I’ve seen the idea to have parents write a letter to their students, but have a plan in place for kids whose parents don’t come because that’s not fair to them. Or for parents who aren’t waiting long enough to complete it. The amount of time each family will be waiting will vary. Hopefully. So whatever you decide, make sure what you set out will keep people occupied for several minutes. But be careful not to make public any sort of sensitive information. Remember, we’re protecting our guests vulnerable information. There’s no way to ensure people won’t peek at other students work. So don’t offer up spelling tests or math facts check off. You want parents to celebrate, not compare their child. Don’t forget the kids either. If conferences are designed at your school to have the student present plans and waiting activities with them in mind, too. And we know there might be siblings in tow as well. You may want to provide coloring books or paper and some crayons for any bored kids. A little basket with coloring books and stickers would be perfect setup on the floor. Just don’t forget to sign explaining what they’re for. But if you really want to channel your inner Martha Stewart and really who doesn’t consider doing a few things to elevate the experience for everyone involved. One way I like to do this is by playing some very, very, very soft instrumental music in the background. Make sure it’s not distracting. I found the soundtracks from Jane Austen movies like Pride and Prejudice to be really perfect in the background and not distracting. And we’re big fans of Sleeping at Last too and he has some beautiful instrumental music. Oh, the instrumentals from his astronomy series would be so good, really anything instrumental would be perfect. And maybe you want to put together a conference playlist. Now I want to make a conference playlist I think you’re gonna have to play around on Spotify. Okay, do it and we’ll link it in the show notes when she does. And when it comes time to use this playlist, aim for a volume that the music is noticeable when the room is quiet, but that it disappears when people are talking. It probably needs to be even a little softer than what you would consider normal background music definitely test out the right volume ahead of time.

Another way to elevate the experience like Martha would, is to think about the things your guests might need during the conference. You can send out extra pens, pencils, papers, or sticky notes. A box of tissues always comes in handy, maybe some hand sanitizer. If you’re really on top of things, you can set out some water bottles, even most parents won’t take them but the gesture goes a long way. Maybe you want to add a small plant to make your space feel more inviting. That would be very Mirtha. You don’t need to go all out. But a little extra effort at the conference table will not go unnoticed. If you want to go far above and beyond, you can offer a little thank you. Consider a bowl of wrapped candy with a thanks for coming sign. Just be prepared for siblings to take more than a few. You might consider microwave popcorn with a note attached, a bottle of bubbles with a cute tag. Really the sky in your budget is the limit. And I know there are tons of ideas for these online. A gift or treat is definitely not necessary though. These are just some ideas for elevating your environment. But don’t feel like you must do any of them. Just thinking through the seating, making clear what parents should do when they arrive, and being inviting and friendly, will do a lot to make conferences a good experience.

So to recap, here’s how you can channel Martha Stewart to make an inviting environment for your parent teacher conferences. Number one tidy, tidy tidy. Number two, get adult size furniture for all adults. Number three, plan your seating arrangement intentionally. Number four, protect privacy. Number five, design a waiting area. Number six, give something to do while waiting. And number seven, consider elevating the experience.

If you are looking to approach your next parent teacher conferences, without all of the stress, we have an amazing mini course you will love. After 20 plus years of teaching and between the two of us many many parent teacher conferences. We have learned how to streamline and simplify the process, reduce the stress and really connect with parents and students. We created our mini course conferences with confidence to help you do the same. I love this mini course so much because it’s really actionable. We’ll help you lay the groundwork for conference success before conferences even begin using tips like the ones we shared in this episode. And we’ll share how to communicate clearly with parents before, during and after conferences. Then you’ll learn about the three how’s every parent wants to know about their child so that you’ll be prepared to answer them for every parent. And we’ll help you learn how to navigate the unknowns of each appointment with specific guidance for handling many and difficult situations that may arise. One thing we kept in mind when we designed this course is that teachers have very busy schedules. I don’t know if you’ve know noticed, there are eight to the point video lessons that you can watch in about an hour. So it’s easy to fit this into your busy schedule. We know how busy you are, the content is available immediately. So you can jump right in today. And the course includes thoughtfully designed printables. So you can record your insights and plan your action steps, the printables are seriously so good, they are worth the cost of admission all on their own. I was just looking at them again today. And I was really impressed. We did a good job. To learn more about Conferences with Confidence, head to the show notes to get a link to join today. And our podcast listeners can grab this mini course for a special price of only $19.

Now let’s answer a listener question. How can I politely wrap up a conference when it’s going over time? Heidi, what should we do? This is tricky because you don’t want parents to feel rushed. But at the same time, you need to respect the people that are waiting. So you do need to convince people to wrap up their conversation. But you don’t want parents to feel like you’re rushing them out the door. So a minute or two before time is up, I like to start with the subtle wrap up cues like start tidying the papers on the desk and putting the pens back in the little pencil cup and glancing at the clock or waving to the next family waiting at the door can help signal the need to wrap up as well. But you know sometimes people don’t take hints. And if that’s the case, you might need to get more direct. The standard signal is to thank them for coming and then stand up. And then you can start subtlly hurting them toward the door, you may have to jump into what a parent is saying if they aren’t giving you an opportunity to talk, you know, some people can get going. If there are still concerns to be addressed, let them know that you will be in touch about scheduling a follow up meeting. And then this is very important, you actually need to do that. However, if you have really gone over time, and the next family is waiting, you might need to move them a little quicker. Try saying something like thanks again for coming. I see the Smiths are waiting out here. So let me tell them that I’m just about ready for them. And make sure to train phrase it like I’m ready for the next family instead of let me tell them it’s going to be a minute because that just gives a talker permission to talk for another minute. Those are good tips for a very awkward situation. If you have a question that you would like a teacher approved solution to reach out to us in our teacher approved Facebook group where you can get our responses and the responses of many other amazing teachers.

Now let’s talk about this week’s teacher approved tip. Each week we leave you with a small actionable tip that you can apply in your classroom today. This week’s teacher approved tip is use a TV tray for your waiting area. This is a tip that I stole from a teacher friend. And it is perfect for setting up your hallway waiting area. Get a folding TV tray for displaying anything that you have out in the area that you want parents to see. I got my tray from Target actually bought a couple. And a TV tray is ideal for this because it folds up so you can store it completely out of the way during the normal day to day. But you have exactly what you need on the three days a year when it’s suddenly vital. And I actually use this when I had like parent volunteers working with kids in the hallway. Oh so smart. And bonus tip for conferences. You can throw a little tablecloth on there and parents will think Martha Stewart is their child’s teacher, which you know, is their goal. But one caveat if you are sending out like a large crate of binders or something else for your waiting area, you might want something more sturdy than a folding tray. Just a heads up pro tip.

Now let’s give some extra credit. Heidi What are you giving extra credit to this week? I am giving extra credit to bins, all of the bins. We live in the golden age of bins and I am here for it. I have been trying to organize a closet that has a weird shaped shelf and up till now I have just been cramming stuff on there because I didn’t have a way to make that space work. Like I had a little box of rocks on the shelf. Very bizarre. You know teachers have weird stuff. It’s true. So I finally did some online sleuthing and I found bins that fit that weird space perfectly. Oh that’s such a good feeling. Now I am so organized there’s actually room left over on that shelf. So I guess I need to buy more stuff to fill it up. Or maybe get another box of rocks. Emily, what’s your extra credit this week? I’m giving extra credit to the Troomi cell phone for kids. So my junior high age daughter has had a gap phone for a year or so but haven’t really been very happy with it. We do have a gap watch that we have loved for younger kids but the gap phone really lacked some The functionality and safeguards that I want for a cell phone for a young team. So when I found out about Troomi, I was really excited to give it a try. And we’ve been super happy with it since we’ve had it for about a month now. The things I love about the Troomi cell phone are that you can whitelist phone numbers making it so only people you have approved, can contact or be contacted by the phone. This is a major feature that gab phone was lacking for me. We had a lot of trouble with the GPS tracking on the gab phone too, but it works perfectly on the Troomi phone. The other big feature that is great on the Troomi phone is that they do allow you to install certain vetted apps only if you want to. So I’ve been able to approve a few apps for my daughter like Spotify kids and Google Classroom and even the Greenlight app, which is the app for her debit card. And that’s a kid safe debit card I gave extra credit to in a previous episode. I’ll link all of this in the show notes. And this is not a sponsored recommendation in any way. But if you’re looking for a kid safe cell phone, I highly recommend Troomi. And Troomi is spelled t r o o m i because that was not the spelling I was expecting. Mentioned that phone just as a heads up.

That’s it for today’s episode. Ask yourself what would Martha Stewart do as you prepare your space for your upcoming conferences. And don’t forget today’s teacher approved tip to use a TV tray in your waiting area.