Communication With Parents

Throughout my teaching career, I have always been told that involved parents or families make successful students. I have come to find this statement to be somewhat true as I have years of experience working with students and families. As every educator should know, parent-teacher collaboration is top priority and is the driving force for every child’s academic success. Under no circumstance should there be a gap or a vast divide between the two. Due to the changes in in today’s society, it is safe to say that teachers will encounter different types of families each school term, and as a result, when communicating with the different families, it is crucial for educators to be mindful of the stigma that might accompany some of these diverse …show more content…
So, in order to do this, at the beginning of the school year before school starts, what I would do to make a first good impression and to open the line of communication with families is to send out a note of introduction. I would welcome the students and families to my class, introduce myself by sharing a little about my teaching experiences, my teaching philosophy, and my hobbies. I would also let the families know my expectations of them and of the students. I would communicate enough about myself so that on the first day of class they would feel a little more comfortable approaching me. I think this is a good strategy to use because not only does it lessen any anxiety the families or the students may have, but it also sends out a message that I am thrilled to be working with them and their children and I am anticipating their …show more content…
While communicating I would be aware of class and cultural differences that may potentially contribute to misunderstandings. I would listen more, talk less, and think of ways to help bridge the difference and create satisfying solutions. When dealing with families like the one mentioned, I would reach out to these families instead of waiting on them to reach out to me; I would make these families feel welcome and reassure them that their opinions will be heard. When communicating with families, I would facilitate constructive communication. Coleman (2013), defined constructive communication as one where the sender sends a clear message and receiver listen to and acknowledge the receipt of that message (pg. 266). Some techniques Coleman (2013) suggested that I would use to facilitate constructive communication are: gaining control of my private thoughts, pay attention to feelings that accompany my words, signal that I am listening, ask clarification questions, control my emotions, keep an open mind and remain focused.
In essence, in order to have harmony between teachers and families, there should be no barriers hindering the line of communication. When the partnership between the two is tightly knitted, it can have a positive effect on the child. Effectively