Pick a small meeting area to have the meeting. Classrooms are good rooms to use, as well as other small meeting rooms that may be in the building. Avoid using large rooms such as the gymnasium, a cafeteria or an auditorium, because these areas are not the best environments for people to collaborate and work together.
Designate a time for the meeting. Be mindful of the work schedules of the parents. A good meeting time is any time between 4:30pm and 6:00pm.
Create an agenda for your meeting so that parents know what will be discussed. The agendas should be typed so they look professional and neat. Keep the information on the agenda to a minimum. Make bullet points with a brief title for each topic that will be discussed. Sample topics that are covered include upcoming activities in the school year, state testing, fundraisers and class trips.
Begin the meeting with a pleasant greeting. Discuss the topics on your agenda, starting with the first topic and continuing in the order they are listed. Postpone questions until the end so that each topic is covered in a timely fashion.
Welcome the opportunity to open the discussion for questions, concerns or any announcements that anyone wishes to make. After everyone has had the opportunity to speak, quickly recap the topics that were covered in the meeting.
Serve refreshments after the discussion is over. Serve refreshments such as coffee, tea, water, fruit, cookies and doughnuts. Parents may stay after the meeting is over to talk with other parents and teachers.