Turn Parents Into Partners

7-15 INTO PARTNERS

Encouraging family involvement in your students’ education is key to success.

Share positive news

While it’s important to be proactive with all communication, be sure it’s not always negative. Send handwritten notes, emails or call (until you reach a parent) to tell a parent when their child has had a great week. Parents won’t complain about hearing too much good news about their child, and it will make sharing difficult information that much easier later on.

Communicate in various formats

Some teachers send out a weekly wrap-up email, others upload lessons and documents via a class website. If you have an online presence, parents can see what you are doing in the classroom rather than just hearing complaints through their children.

Tell parents your preferred method of communication

Be open with parents from the very beginning and share with them how and when you are most easily reached. Communicating from the very beginning will benefit you throughout the year. Article credit: NEA member

Benefits.

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Be proactive & prompt

We live in a 24/7 world and parents now expect teachers to communicate more quickly than ever. It is vital that if there is an issue with a student’s performance, to let the parent know at the first sign of trouble rather than allow the issue to fester and become a major problem. Let parents know when you typically check your email so they won’t feel like you’re ignoring their messages, instead you’re responding when you can, because you are teaching, after all.

Tap into parental expertise

Encourage parents to be guest speakers, contest judges and field trip chaperones. If you take advantage of the expertise at your fingertips, parents, in turn will value your knowledge.

Speak their language

Parents don’t know the education lingo so leave it at work, and make sure you speak to them in terms they can understand, and in terms of what it means for their kids.

Ask one question at the beginning of the year

During their first in-person meeting, ask parents a simple question: “What do you think I should know about your child?” This question will open the lines of communications between you and

your student’s classroom.

Have a demonstration night to get parents invovled

This can range from having students in lower grades spell words, draw or write sentences to having students create something on a 3D-printer. Let students shine, and invite parents to be part of the success! Parents will enjoy the event, and they’ll be more engaged in their child’s learning going forward.

Work around a parent's schedule

Find out a parent’s preferred method of communication and use that channel and time of day. If you know the parents are working during the day, call them later in the evening, so you don’t have to play phone tag to share important information.