When teachers make an effort to create healthy relationships with parents students benefit. Students with academically involved parents tend to get higher grades and test scores. They also have an easier time socially and are better able to stay on task. Students with involved parents also have better school attendance and participate more. They’re also less likely to have behavioral issues in class.
Most teachers understand that a good relationship with families is a top factor in successful students, but it can be hard when families are hard to reach or seem uninterested in participating. Try not to assume that all your students families just aren’t interested in their students’ learning. Many parents would love to be more involved but don’t know how or have significant barriers that make it difficult. Many families have difficult work schedules, immigration concerns, language barriers, or health issues.
One of the ways you can help combat these barriers is opening a few reliable channels of communication. Not all teachers can pick up their kid at the end of the day and talk to you about any concerns. Not all teachers want to communicate the same way. To figure out how your students’ parents would like to communicate with you, just ask. Send them all an email, send out a google form, or ask them at parent teacher orientation.
Another way to foster a good relationship with parents is to introduce yourself! There are many ways you can do this. During the Pandemic some teachers opted to make a short video introducing themselves and talking about what kind of teacher they are, their interests and sharing their desire to get to know the parents and students personally. This goes a long way with parents and helps open the door between parents and teachers.
Sometimes students are struggling and teachers may need to communicate that to parents. Parents can be sensitive and protective of their children and may be resistant to receiving negative information about their children, so it’s important to approach the conversation with tact. It’s important to involve parents when their child is struggling in school. They may not know how to help their child and will be happy to have an ally with the teacher who can help work with their child.
A good way to approach a parent is to make sure you have the time to have a genuine conversation with the parent. Make sure you don’t immediately start with the negative. Say something like “I am really enjoying having your child in class. He’s super creative”. Starting with something positive will let the parent know that you care and like their child, and they’ll be more likely to be open to your suggestions.
Try the “feedback sandwhich” method. You position your constructive feedback between two positives. Say their child Ethan is having a hard time focusing during class. You could say, “Hi Mr. Smith, Ethan is doing great making new friends in my class. We are working on socializing with friends at the appropriate time and it would be great if you could remind him of that rule as well. I think once he gets that down he will be an awesome role model for the rest of the class.” This is a good way to communicate with parents because you’re letting the parent know that you recognize their child’s strengths and you’re dedicated to the success of their kid. The parent will now be more likely to respond positively to your request for help. Once you have requested help from the parent, it’s a good idea to keep the parent updated on their child’s progress. It will encourage parents’ to feel more comfortable talking with you in the future.
These strategies take time and patience, as well as courage. It’s not easy to put yourself out there and talk to parents, especially if you have to communicate with them about their child’s struggles. In the end, it will make all the difference. Students whose parents are a part of their educational life have higher rates of academic success and often excel ways that will help them through their entire lives. Take the time and energy to engage with your students’ parents to help your students succeed.