To end the conversation, be clear about what you plan to do next. This is especially important if you’ll be meeting in person or asking other staff members for advice.

Leave the door open for more communication, and close out the conversation honestly. For example, don’t say “This has been a great conversation” if it didn’t go as well as you had hoped. Instead, say something like “I know this was tough to talk about. I appreciate your input/thoughts/honesty.” Use sentence starters like:

• Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. As we discussed, I’m going to [confirm next steps you agreed on].
• I’m glad we had a chance to connect and talk this over. My next steps in supporting [student] are going to be…
• I’m glad we’re able to work together to support [student]. So, at home, you’ll [summarise discussed strategies] and at school, I’m going to [summarise].
• I feel like this was a good start. I’ll speak with [any additional staff], and we’ll set up a time to continue this conversation.
• Thank you for your time. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you think of anything else.