Relationships with the home

Positive relationships with the students’ families

I believe that a child’s academic success is greatly enhanced when teachers and parents build a healthy partnership throughout the school year. When I need information regarding a child in my class or when a child is experiencing any kinds of problems, I will contact their parents or guardians because they are my number one resource. I plan to use a variety of communication methods to build a solid and healthy relationships with parents.

• I begin to set the foundation of my relationship with parents and guardians before the school year even begins. I will send out in the month prior to the first day of class, introducing myself and detailing my expectations and goals for the year. I want the letter to be inviting and warm, letting the parents and guardians know that I already care about the well-being and educational growth of their children. At the same time, I want them to know that I will push their children to grow, and won’t stand for misbehavior or sloppy work. I will emphasize that we - me and my students’ parents - are a team, and our combined effort will help their child thrive in my classroom.
• This letter will also include information on how the parents/guardians can contact me, via email or telephone, and the best times for me to take calls. While it is important to be available for discussion about all of my students, it is also important to set up boundaries early on, so that my personal life is not disrupted for menial reasons. I understand that a parent might think it is important that their child get a better part in a class play, but it isn't something that needs to be discussed during my dinner, when I'm out with friends, or when I am involved with my own family.
• The introductory letter will also include a personalized introduction to my students. I want them to be as familiar with me as possible, before the school year, and talking directly to them, even by letter, lets them know that I find them important. I can also include my personalized bookmark, as a way to begin instruction with my class.

• The beginning of the school year is when I build on the foundation. Parent-Teacher night, or Parent-Teacher meetings, will often by my first interaction with my students’ parents, and I want to make a strong first impression. I will make sure my classroom is warm and welcoming, and showcases my students, with specific examples of how every child contributes to my class.

• One of the easiest things I can do to form a solid relationship with parents and guardians is talk to them about their children. Letting parents know about their child’s success in the classroom by phone call, after-school discussion, letter or parent-teacher conference is a huge relief to parents, who often see a very different side of their child at home. I will make sure to call home about each student at least once a month; letting parents know about the strengths the student brings to my class. I will also make sure that if I am calling a parent due to academic struggles or behavior issues, I sandwich the issue between positive attributes I see in the struggling student.

• When taking parent-requested meetings, or requesting a meeting myself, it is important to me to be willing to listen and make every effort to understand the parent’s complaint or concern. I will address specific concerns and remain focused on what is best for the student. I will also share student work that supports my concerns. I will offer explicit advice, when I have it, and help parents set achievable goals for their child.

• Hopes and Dreams: This can be a stand-alone or an addition to the Student Tree. I will add a personal Hope and Dream for the school year, using paper balloons, flowers, apples or anything appropriate. My students will follow my example, creating their own Hope and Dream for the school year. Finally, on Parent-teacher night, I will ask each parent or guardian to fill out their Hopes and Dreams for their child for the upcoming school year. If it turns out that there isn’t a Parent-Teacher night, or if it falls to far into the school year, I will send the Hope and Dream cut-out home with my introductory letter, and ask each parent to send it with their child on the first day of class.

• Class Newsletter or Blog: This is an interesting and easy way for me to let parents know what is happening in my classroom during the week. It can detail everything from individual student accomplishments to upcoming tests and projects.It can feature:
• Student editorials
• A “Student of the Week”
• Helpful links to educational websites
• Teacher discussions about recent class events
• Notifications of upcoming events
• Pictures of students at work
• Pictures of the classroom
• Book discussions
• Tips for helping the students at home
• And more!

Both a newsletter and a blog have merits, and drawbacks, and deciding which is best for a class could be decided by parental vote. A blog can be updated with more frequency, allowing for last minute changes, and saves paper that might get thrown away before a parent can see it. But because a computer isn’t something found in every house, it might be difficult for parents without easy internet access to read and review.
A Class Newsletter might appeal more to the students, as it is something tangible, and students can show their contribution. They are also available to all of the parents and guardians. Newsletters might be more work, as each letter needs to be formatted and written completely by a certain deadline, in order to get out on a regular schedule (biweekly or monthly). They also use more supplies, that might be hard to come by, so bringing up the Class Newspaper should only be done if I am sure I have the means available to create one.

Understanding cultural differences in the parents of my students, and being aware of language and other communication barriers, is something I have to consider carefully when working with my students' families. I know that there is a good possibility that I will have students every year, with parents who have problems understanding English, the only language I speak. There are several ways I can make sure that I am including these parents in my family communications such as:

• Making sure I have a translator on hand when I plan on having a conversation with a parent who doesn't speak English.
• Writing my introductory letter, and subsequent letters in the parent's native language, with the help of a colleague or friend.
• Making a phone call, instead of sending a letter, if a parent is blind.
• Making parents aware of websites that translate websites into their native language, so they are able to read blog posts, as well as the school's website.
• Being aware of cultural and religious differences in my students families, and treating these beliefs with respect and understanding, even if they conflict with my own.
• Introducing parents to each other, and forming a class committee which can meet on a regular basis, and represents everyone's core beliefs about the classroom (though making sure they understand that I take everything into consideration, but I have to think for the good of the entire class, not individual students, and while I will do my absolute best to accommodate each student and parent, sometimes it just isn't possible.