TL;DR:
- Education is a collaborative effort between teachers and parents for student success.
- Strategies for partnering with parents can include welcoming them into classrooms, using modern communication, and sending newsletters.
- Effective communication involves utilizing modern platforms, newsletters, and frequent parent-teacher conferences.
- Partnering with parents in school activities and providing resources and support fosters a partnership for student success.
Partnering with Parents: As an educator, I have always believed that education is a collaborative effort between teachers and parents. Parents play a vital role in their child’s education, and as teachers, it is our responsibility to involve them in the process to ensure our students’ academic success.
Here are practical ways to communicate with parents and involve them in their child’s education process.
Create a welcoming classroom environment.
When parents visit the classroom, it is essential to make them feel welcome. A friendly tone, a big smile, and a warm conversation can go a long way. When they feel comfortable and welcomed, parents are more likely to support their child’s education and work with the teacher.
Utilize modern communication platforms.
Teachers can use e-mail, text messaging, or social media to communicate with parents. This is an effective way to share updates, progress reports, and assignments, and answer any questions they may have. I always provide parents with my contact information and encourage them to reach out to me.
Communicating and involving parents in their child's education builds a partnership between the home and school environment. This helps foster a sense of shared responsibility in their child's academics. Click To TweetSend newsletters and weekly updates.
Weekly newsletters or updates are a great way to let parents know about the happenings in the class. It is also a great way to keep them informed about what their child is learning. Newsletters can provide information about upcoming events, projects, and assignments. They can also feature articles related to child development, wellness, and education tips that can help parents support learning at home.
Spice up parent-teacher conferences.
Parent-teacher conferences are a crucial way to discuss the progress of the student. It is an opportunity to provide feedback and discuss strengths and areas of improvement. During these meetings, I share feedback on their child’s learning progress and answer any questions or concerns they may have.
In addition to traditional parent-teacher conferences, it’s also helpful to implement less formal check-ins throughout the year to provide more frequent and personalized feedback on the student’s progress.
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Involve parents in school activities.
One great way to involve parents in education is through school activities. Parents can volunteer in extracurricular activities like reading programs, field trips, and other school events. Such involvement can also engage them in the school community, giving them the chance to connect and share ideas with other parents.
Provide resources and support.
Some parents may struggle with providing academic support to their child due to a language barrier, busy schedules, or lack of educational background. In such cases, teachers can provide a resource library of online links, use translated documents, or even offer tutorial sessions for parents to learn the educational skills required for their child.
In conclusion, communicating and involving parents in their child’s education builds a partnership between the home and school environment. This helps foster a sense of shared responsibility in their child’s academics. By using various communication methods, creating a welcoming classroom environment, involving parents in school activities, providing support and resources, and arranging regular parent-teacher conferences, we can create successful partnerships. The ultimate goal of such collaboration is securing the academic success of the student.
About Colissa R. Jordan
Colissa R. Jordan is in her 20th year as an English Language Arts Educator. Currently, she teaches ELA 11th and 12th at Great Oaks Career Campuses in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a former Adjunct at the University of Cincinnati. She has a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and enjoys sharing best practices with other educators. Teaching and learning is her passion. She is dedicated to teaching and empowering her students with the skills to be exceptional individuals!
