Educators must build a bridge between school and home incorporating a strong parental support to ensure students embrace academic success. As the parent perception of the school improves, and stronger ties are created a deeper commitment is put forth towards the importance of learning. However, some parents do not feel comfortable coming to school and meeting with teachers. “Poor parents are far less likely to be involved in school-based activities and far less likely to meet with educators due to this sense of intimidation and past negative experiences” (Machen, Wilson and Notar, 2005, p. 15). As educators, we must work diligently to see that all families feel welcome on campus so that overtime, parents will become more aware of what their child is learning and how best to help them outside of …show more content…
When parents take an interest in their child’s learning this makes teachers feel valued and appreciated. Teachers who have earned the respect of the parents seem to experience a higher morale rate. Consistent parental involvement begins with the teacher building a partnership with clear and positive communication. Many teachers seem to contact parents only when there is an academic or behavior concern. Teachers must be willing to reach out to parents with a positive and uplifting message, showing parents you care about their child’s education. In today’s society, email is used in many schools to communicate with parents. However, emails are often taken out of context and misinterpreted. “Teachers and parents can avoid misinterpretations by keeping email messages short , switching to oral communication for complicated issues and getting to know each other better” (Thompson, 2009, p. 23). Emails limit nonverbal cues, such as facial expression, eye contact and voice tone, which can occur with face to face meetings or oral communication making the conference more positive and inviting. Once parents understand that they are accepted on campus and have a positive experience, they are most likely to become more involved in the school environment. Over time this experience allows for a deeper respect and appreciation for