Developing positive and effective teacher-parent relationships
Photos used under Creative Commons from woodleywonderworks, gcoldironjr2003
In the eyes of parents, their child is the most important child in your class. Establishing rapport and having good communication with your students' parents is vital, especially when you need to work together to support the student, whether it be for academic, social or emotional reasons.
Parents only have the best interests of their children at heart. It is important to remember this at all times by showing respect to parents and remembering that they know their children very well, and will often have insights into explaining any particular behaviours, or other factors that will be of help to you as a teacher.
As discussed by Little (2003, p. 93) "Some parents will not tell you about what is happening at home, and you may be left trying to work out why a child’s behaviour and academic performance has suddenly changed. A situation such as this may become tricky because you then may be approaching parents who themselves are under a great deal of stress and very fragile".
Parents need to know you genuinely care about their child and that you value them as an individual. There are several ways you can establish and maintain good parent-teacher relationships early in the year which will prove to be of great benefit throughout the time you are teaching their children.
Bill Rogers, in his 'Repair and Rebuild' DVD (2004) suggests an idea I believe is an excellent one which will be of benefit to the teacher, parents and to the student. The following strategy is based on this idea.
At the beginning of the year, as you get to know your students, make notes of positive things you notice about the students and start a profile, noting likes and dislikes, areas of strength and other characteristics about the students. You may find out topics they are particularly interested in, or a sport or hobby they are good at or enjoy. If you notice they work well in groups, are a good listener, or leader, or anything positive you notice, keep a note of this in their profile. After the first 2-3 weeks, write a letter to each parent, commenting on the positive things you have noticed about the student. It can be something really simple, such as saying you are impressed with how much enthusiasm he or she shows to Science, or how they have shown they are a caring friend in the playground. It doesn't matter what it is, the point is that any parent likes to hear something positive about their child and they will be sure to tell their child about it. In the DVD Bill Rogers suggests giving the 'important' letter to the child in an unsealed envelope and asking them to hand it to their parents. Imagine how the student will feel reading a positive letter about themselves written by their teacher. Doing this also ensures you are looking for positive aspects of all of the students, and showing you care and value each student.
Students with a disability
If you have a student with a disability in your class it is important to have a team approach, with the parents and other professionals to support the child. As Ashman and Elkins state, "The first and foremost implication of contemporary understanding of the development of families with children with a disability or impairment is the need to acknowledge their individuality and to come to grips with the uniqueness of each family's experiences, stresses, coping mechanisms, and supports" (1998, p.61). Having good communication with the parents and understanding their situation will allow you to better support their child.
Other ideas for maintaining positive parent - teacher relationships.
In the eyes of parents, their child is the most important child in your class. Establishing rapport and having good communication with your students' parents is vital, especially when you need to work together to support the student, whether it be for academic, social or emotional reasons.
Parents only have the best interests of their children at heart. It is important to remember this at all times by showing respect to parents and remembering that they know their children very well, and will often have insights into explaining any particular behaviours, or other factors that will be of help to you as a teacher.
As discussed by Little (2003, p. 93) "Some parents will not tell you about what is happening at home, and you may be left trying to work out why a child’s behaviour and academic performance has suddenly changed. A situation such as this may become tricky because you then may be approaching parents who themselves are under a great deal of stress and very fragile".
Parents need to know you genuinely care about their child and that you value them as an individual. There are several ways you can establish and maintain good parent-teacher relationships early in the year which will prove to be of great benefit throughout the time you are teaching their children.
Bill Rogers, in his 'Repair and Rebuild' DVD (2004) suggests an idea I believe is an excellent one which will be of benefit to the teacher, parents and to the student. The following strategy is based on this idea.
At the beginning of the year, as you get to know your students, make notes of positive things you notice about the students and start a profile, noting likes and dislikes, areas of strength and other characteristics about the students. You may find out topics they are particularly interested in, or a sport or hobby they are good at or enjoy. If you notice they work well in groups, are a good listener, or leader, or anything positive you notice, keep a note of this in their profile. After the first 2-3 weeks, write a letter to each parent, commenting on the positive things you have noticed about the student. It can be something really simple, such as saying you are impressed with how much enthusiasm he or she shows to Science, or how they have shown they are a caring friend in the playground. It doesn't matter what it is, the point is that any parent likes to hear something positive about their child and they will be sure to tell their child about it. In the DVD Bill Rogers suggests giving the 'important' letter to the child in an unsealed envelope and asking them to hand it to their parents. Imagine how the student will feel reading a positive letter about themselves written by their teacher. Doing this also ensures you are looking for positive aspects of all of the students, and showing you care and value each student.
Students with a disability
If you have a student with a disability in your class it is important to have a team approach, with the parents and other professionals to support the child. As Ashman and Elkins state, "The first and foremost implication of contemporary understanding of the development of families with children with a disability or impairment is the need to acknowledge their individuality and to come to grips with the uniqueness of each family's experiences, stresses, coping mechanisms, and supports" (1998, p.61). Having good communication with the parents and understanding their situation will allow you to better support their child.
Other ideas for maintaining positive parent - teacher relationships.
- Allow
parents to help in the classroom at set times if they are available. Find out if any
parents have particular skills they might like to share, such as a
second language, artistic skills or an experience to share that would be
relevant and of interest to the students.
- Greet the
parents each day, either in the morning, or at the end of the day. Make your classroom an 'open door' and encourage parents to talk to you. As students get into higher grades, parents are not as present at
the classroom, so encouraging them to be involved if they are able.
- Remember that parents and families are
very busy in today's society. Parents who work full time, have small
children or who take their children to after school sports and other
activities will often find it difficult to help their children with
homework and reading every day. Be flexible and understanding,
encouraging rather than criticising. If parents let you know they are
time poor, discuss options and look at ways to support them, so the child can still get the necessary support. For students in
younger grades, do not punish students who are unable to complete
homework because their parents have not had time to help them. Ensure
the homework activities are manageable for students to do on their own.
It is better to give positive reinforcement to the student and parents
about homework that has been completed, than to focus on what has not
been done. Try to work out an arrangement that will suit everyone,
while still ensuring the student has some responsibility to complete
certain tasks.
- Make sure parents know you are human!
You will make mistakes, have misunderstandings and you may not know
everything! If parents know you are an open and honest person they will
find it much easier to approach you and feel comfortable to talk to
you.
- Smile! Be friendly to parents - be honest , open and approachable, make them feel
welcome.