Why is communicating with parents important for teachers

Using these various forms of communication between teachers and parents helps to build a strong relationship between the school and the families they serve. The documentation provided by teachers convey the experiences of each child and strengthens the learning that takes place at home, school, and even throughout the community.

For more information on the Reggio Emilia approach to learning including additional resources contact The Compass School today! Lilian Katz. Posted on November 1, pm The Importance of Parent-Teacher Communication Why is it important for teachers to communicate with parents? What is Good Parent-Teacher Communication? All of these ways give parents a role in the classroom. Parents know and love their children. Have parents complete surveys throughout the year.

This can also be done as a student-facing survey. Then, halfway through the year, ask parents to give feedback on classroom practices to check in on progress.

Teachers should reflect on feedback from parents. It can be hard to accept and implement the ideas of multiple people, however, if teachers are able to detach emotions, this can be practice-altering feedback that positively impacts student results. It can be easy for a teacher to assume that a parent is uninvested after an unreturned phone call or missed meeting.

Asking parents the best way and time to communicate can ensure that teachers effectively get in touch with parents. Teachers often send letters to parents to keep them informed.

Some schools have a more modern approach and use educational technology platforms like Kickboard where parents and teachers can communicate about student progress and daily logistics. Reviewing and responding to teacher communication can ensure that parents stay updated on classroom goals and student progress, especially in between report card cycles. Many schools establish special events that help parents and teachers talk about classroom procedures and topics.

At the beginning of the year, this may look like an enrollment day or open house. Throughout the year, schools may have parent-teacher conferences where both parties can connect about student progress. Additionally, school events such as award ceremonies and end-of-year celebrations are great times for parents and teachers to celebrate the success students are having throughout the year.

Teachers can benefit from as much context for student strengths and needs that can be provided. Sharing student report cards, meeting notes, and intervention documentation can help teachers learn more about what strategies have been attempted and were successful for students. Additionally, student history may help teachers work more effectively towards meeting student needs because they have more context about the students academics and behavior.

Teaching can be a very tough job. Often, the work is stressful and overwhelming. Parents should always advocate for their child. However, a great way to support a teacher is to be patient, understanding and offer help. Child Trends , September Parental Involvement in Schools. Retrieved from childtrends. Hill, N. Parental involvement in middle school: a meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement.

Developmental psychology, 45 3 , Dearing, E. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, American Psychological Association. Parent Engagement in Schools. Retrieved from apa. Grand Rapids Public School District. What Is Parental Engagement? Retrieved from grps. Wairimu, M. Journal of Education and Practice, Vol 7.

Sheldon, S. Johns Hopkins University, School of Education. Epstein, J. School Community Journal, 14, pp Henderson, A. By being able to communicate openly, both the teachers and the parents can keep a close eye on the child, and they will likely pick up why the child is not completely happy. An example of this could be that their friend has moved away recently and they are missing them. Teachers are in a brilliant position to be able to support children to integrate with others in their class to build friendships, and parents are there to offer support when at home and can help children remain in contact with their friends.

They are able to understand the journey that their child will go on during the year, what topics they will be studying and how different skills will be developed. They can appreciate that OWIS teach their children life skills over and above just academia, as teachers have an opportunity to observe a child's academic growth as well as their emotional development and social needs.

They see the children daily, so they are in the perfect position to monitor their progress. They can provide parents with important insight that can help them build their children into strong, confident learners. Ideally, there is an ongoing dialogue between parents and teachers. When teachers and parents communicate regularly, teachers can provide parents with information about school events and classroom volunteer opportunities.

Parents, when they are made aware of these opportunities, often find themselves excited to participate and be a part of the classroom. By encouraging everyone to get involved, whether that be by supporting a school play, making cakes for a charity fundraiser or offering time to attend extracurricular activities, this all makes a difference to the overall experience of OWIS.