Parent/Teacher Conferences
Schools can request that you participate virtually in parent/teacher conferences, but it’s important to know that you are not required to attend, especially if their scheduled times conflict with your teaching responsibilities at other schools or with other classes.
That said, conferences can be a great opportunity to briefly connect with parents, share student progress, and encourage continued participation—if your schedule allows. If you choose to participate, one effective approach is to:
- Use your class meeting link
- Allow one parent in at a time for a short (around 5 minutes) check-in
- Keep other parents in the waiting room until it's their turn
If attending virtually isn’t possible or preferred, you can also “participate” by sending home short, polite and professional progress updates via email. This is a great way to keep families informed without needing to schedule individual meetings.
If you are informed by your Pod that the Parent/Teacher time is part of your contracted time, then you need to make arrangements to attend during this time or work out an alternative setting with your Pod to communicate with your school.
Can I Contact Parents?
Absolutely—you can and should reach out to parents when needed, especially to share updates about student progress, behavior, or class engagement. This kind of communication can really help support student success.
Here are a few guidelines:
Use Your Proximity Email – Always use your official Proximity email account when contacting parents. This keeps communication professional and ensures there’s a record.
CC Your TLS – Please copy your Teaching & Learning Specialist (TLS) on all communication with families. This helps us support you and track any ongoing concerns.
No Personal Calls – We don’t recommend calling parents directly, especially from your personal phone. Phone calls don’t provide documentation, and we want to respect your privacy.
Be Constructive and Supportive – Keep messages brief, positive, and focused on solutions or next steps (e.g., missing work, encouraging participation, or highlighting improvement).
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