Email, phone call, newsletter: you will communicate with parents. Here is our wisdom for making your work successful.
Melissa’s Tips
Build relationships and rapport with parents from the beginning of the school year. Students benefit when teachers communicate with their parents or guardians in a variety of ways. Often, conflict is minimized when teachers and parents have a relationship from the start.
One way to build those important relationships is through positive phone calls. Consider talking with parents about all victories like completed assignments, improved behavior, or revamped organization. Parents appreciate learning about their child’s success at school.
Lauralee’s Viewpoint
No matter why you are calling a parent, you should prepare your message in advance. If you are nervous, write out points and ideas. Come to the conversation with potential solutions and ways to help the student. Document the conversation and connect with the counselor or social worker after the phone call.
From the beginning of the year, you should speak with parents about classroom procedures, your grading system, expectations, and more. If you do have an upset parent, you will then have already connected.
Be proactive with parents, and strive to keep them as engaged partners in education. You will run into tough conversations. Staying professional, working with others, and documenting communication can improve any situation.
Looking for more ideas to share with parents? This blog post covers ideas to help parents with activities over the summer.