Parent-teacher conferences are a standard part of every school year. Conferences are a great way to alert parents/guardians of their child’s strengths and areas for growth. However, conferences can be difficult to schedule even in typical face-to-face circumstances. Scheduling and implementing virtual conferences can provide us with a whole new set of challenges.

With that in mind, how can we streamline this process and get organized for our virtual conferences? The answer is: Google Calendar! Google Calendar makes it easier to connect with parents/guardians and find a time for conferencing that works for everyone. Without having to worry about papers and slips being returned and changes needing to be made, conferences can get up and running in no time. Whether you are fully remote, hybrid, or in-person, this is a clearly defined way to plan your conferences.

Here are the steps for setting up your virtual conferences

Open Google Calendar and navigate to the calendar that you would like to schedule conferences on. We recommend creating a calendar specifically for parents or conferencing.

Click on the day that you would like to schedule your appointments. Select “Appointment slots” and fill out the required information for your conferences. Be sure to determine the length of your appointment slots.

You can also do this by going to “day view” and clicking and dragging on the times that you would like to have appointments. This will bring you to your standard event on Calendar. Just fill out the required information to get started!

After you’ve set up the appointment block, you can invite people to reserve a slot with a link to your appointments page. Click your appointment and then go to the appointment page for this calendar.

Copy and paste the appointment page link from your browser and then send this link to people who want to reserve an appointment slot.

Once the link has been shared, parents/guardians can click on the link and choose an available appointment slot. Encourage parents to add their child’s name in the event title/details for the appointment slot. When time slots have been selected, they will show up as highlighted on the appointment page so parents are aware that they are unable to select that time. Also, once the appointment has been saved, teachers and parents will be able to view it on their calendars as an event with a convenient link to the Google Meet.

For a final tip, we recommend attaching any applicable student work samples or materials to the Google Calendar event so it is ready for parents to view. Happy conferencing!

To learn more about using Google Calendar, check out this blog’s companion course on the OTIS for educator’s platform: Planning Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences with Google Calendar.

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more articles on the Teq Talk blog.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and remote learning support for educators with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology, tools, and strategies that can spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening.

Teq is an experienced Google for Education Partner. If your school is purchasing G Suite Enterprise for Education or Chromebooks, you may be eligible to receive free PD from Teq as part of the Google Service Offer program.