Starting the Year with Positive Parent-Teacher Relationships
Teachers, how well do you know your parents? Effective communication is essential for building a school-family partnership. It establishes the foundation for all other forms of family involvement in education. So, how can we build this positive relationship with our student's parents? To make these relationships strong, we need to focus on four things: expectations, collaboration, communication, and realizations.
How does the relationship between your student's parents and you affect their learning? Could this relationship have an effect on how well they read? How would your parents know that you are an effective teacher?
Positive parent-school communication benefit parents. The way in which we collaborate and interact with parents can affect a parents' involvement with their child's learning. Positive interactions allow parents to feel safe and comfortable asking questions and getting involved in their child's education. They become more confident and involved. Our job as teachers is to help develop the essential role parents play in the school community. By creating this positive bond with parents not only do students benefit but so do teachers. Imagine learning about student needs and their home environment through parents and not having to figure it out on your own.
"It takes a village to raise a child."
-African Proverb
What are some ways both teacher and parent can ensure that together they are doing what's best for their students'/child's success?
Expectations
When it comes to expectations, both parents and teachers have them for each other. Parents expect us to teach and guide their children to academic success and we expect parents to support their learning at home. We also share common expectations such as attendance and behavior. If these expectations are communicated with each other in a positive and clear way, it can have a positive response on student's learning outcomes. The key word is communicated... When expectations are clearly communicated, both stakeholders have a better understanding of their roles in the relationship. So, set your expectations. Let your students and your students' parents know your expectations. I like to do this both at Back to School Night and in a letter that I send home the first day of school. The key to giving this information is making sure it is passed on most positively and respectfully. These expectations should be given and received many times throughout the school year.
Communication and Collaboration
Have you ever heard that communication is a two-way street? Communication is a must in building a successful parent-teacher relationship. Communication can help a child in so many ways. The more we communicate with each other, the better equipped we are to help students achieve academically, socially and emotionally. We have so many opportunities as teachers to have successful two-way communication with our students' families. Effective communication strategies include Initiation, Timeliness, Consistency, Frequency and Follow through. I like to start with Back to School Night. It's a great night to communicate the wonderful year their children will partake in and the community they will be part of. But what about the parents who cannot be at this event? This is when a phone call works nicely (initiation). Just a short phone call to let them know how excited you are to be their child's teacher will brighten everyone's day. Phone calls are also an effective way to let families know about their child's' success. A positive phone call can mean the world to a parent and a student.
A phone call can include:
Throughout the year, I communicate with parents in several ways, but a form of communication they can consistently count on is a weekly letter that I attach to the homework. It states the learning objective and reminders for the week. I also make sure to send home progress reports every six weeks (frequency) to inform parents of their child's progress. Other ways to communicate is through parent/teacher conferences, daily with the Remind app (timeliness), Curriculum nights/workshops, Open House, and school-wide events. Remember the key to success is always to be positive and follow through with what you say you are going to do.
Realizations
I've made some realizations from my experiences as a teacher and as a parent. I’ve realized that we're on the same team and as such, we need to be supportive of each other. We need to have mutual respect for one another. Our number one focus and goal should be the success of each individual child. Parents and teachers both have a genuine desire for children to be successful. It's a realization that assumptions and perceptions are often inaccurate. Seeking to understand each other by communicating is key to having powerful relationships. It's a realization that when a child and parent feel supported by a teacher, students have a more significant advantage in their ability to be successful. It's a win-win for everyone!
Just remember- You Got This! Be Intentional, Be Positive, Be Visible and Approachable, Be Clear and Consistent, and Be a Good Listener. Success for all students is the objective, and positive parent-teacher relationships are crucial to this success!
Communication and Collaboration
Have you ever heard that communication is a two-way street? Communication is a must in building a successful parent-teacher relationship. Communication can help a child in so many ways. The more we communicate with each other, the better equipped we are to help students achieve academically, socially and emotionally. We have so many opportunities as teachers to have successful two-way communication with our students' families. Effective communication strategies include Initiation, Timeliness, Consistency, Frequency and Follow through. I like to start with Back to School Night. It's a great night to communicate the wonderful year their children will partake in and the community they will be part of. But what about the parents who cannot be at this event? This is when a phone call works nicely (initiation). Just a short phone call to let them know how excited you are to be their child's teacher will brighten everyone's day. Phone calls are also an effective way to let families know about their child's' success. A positive phone call can mean the world to a parent and a student.
A phone call can include:
- What their child will be learning
- Invitation to Open House or other school events
- A positive comment on student progress
- Inform them of student achievement
- Inform them of their child's strengths
Throughout the year, I communicate with parents in several ways, but a form of communication they can consistently count on is a weekly letter that I attach to the homework. It states the learning objective and reminders for the week. I also make sure to send home progress reports every six weeks (frequency) to inform parents of their child's progress. Other ways to communicate is through parent/teacher conferences, daily with the Remind app (timeliness), Curriculum nights/workshops, Open House, and school-wide events. Remember the key to success is always to be positive and follow through with what you say you are going to do.
Realizations
I've made some realizations from my experiences as a teacher and as a parent. I’ve realized that we're on the same team and as such, we need to be supportive of each other. We need to have mutual respect for one another. Our number one focus and goal should be the success of each individual child. Parents and teachers both have a genuine desire for children to be successful. It's a realization that assumptions and perceptions are often inaccurate. Seeking to understand each other by communicating is key to having powerful relationships. It's a realization that when a child and parent feel supported by a teacher, students have a more significant advantage in their ability to be successful. It's a win-win for everyone!
Just remember- You Got This! Be Intentional, Be Positive, Be Visible and Approachable, Be Clear and Consistent, and Be a Good Listener. Success for all students is the objective, and positive parent-teacher relationships are crucial to this success!
Positively Teaching,
Randi Muehlen
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