Getting to the strong home-school partnership students and families deserve requires teachers who are prepared to engage with caregivers human-to-human, not just teacher-to-caregiver. In this study, we analyzed survey responses, coaching transcripts, and pre- and post-coaching transcripts from 19 preservice teachers' (PSTs) simulated parent-teacher conferences to understand how PSTs respond to sensitive disclosures and how their responses shift following coaching. We found that without support, even well-intentioned novices may respond to disclosures of family challenges in potentially relationship-harming ways. During coaching, PSTs expressed concerns about whether and how to respond to disclosures and how to balance being responsive with respecting the family's privacy and facilitating a productive meeting. When PSTs were able to discuss their concerns during coaching, their responses to the disclosure shifted, with more engagement and empathetic statements. We conclude with concrete ideas and insights from our research on how teacher educators and policymakers can prepare novices for partnerships.