"Welcome to our classroom!" Any inclusive and responsive teacher would love to say these words to parents. Researchers show that students are more likely to achieve academically and less likely to have behavioral issues, if the parents are involved in their educational process. In my class, I understand the importance of bridging the gap between home and school, especially between teacher and parents. The student, parent, teacher, and school all benefit from a positive parent-school communications. The way in which the teacher communicates and interacts with parents affects the extent and quality of parent involvement, student learning, and even student behavior (Guillaume, 2016). Teacher must create and maintain a three-way relationship …show more content…
First Day Program, phone communication, and internet-based communication are three ways to include parents (family) into the classroom. Parent contact should begin on the first day of school. The First Day programs is fabulous for connecting teacher and parents right from the beginning, when everyone has a clean slate, before the student is in trouble or any unpleasant phone calls have been made. Typically, most parents drop off their child at the bus stop or even drop their child off at the classroom door. Then the classroom doors close and the parents leave. One of the first ways to include parent in the class is on the first day of school, which is known as the First Day Holiday. This program was created by Terry Ehrich in 1999. President Bill Clinton awarded Mr. Ehrich with a Presidential Service Award for his First Day Foundation. As a teacher, I believe that the first contact with parents should be the first day of school …show more content…
The third communication method I utilize is the school 's website and email. At the school where I work, teachers use the school website that allows us to give families information about classroom activities, grades, and post items on the website (Guillaume, 2016). Other additional information is available to parents as listed: monthly calendars, newsletters, school handbook, homework assignments, photo, student progress information, teacher objectives, and many other things. Technology can play a major role in providing opportunities for improving the educational landscape and broaden communication options. One concern related to this website is ensuring password- protected and accessible only to the families of the students. The school staff and teachers have to keep the information on the school website current and accurate. Sending email to the parent about their children 's accomplishments helps to build confident and trusting relationship between the parents and the teacher. These types of positive spontaneous action create two-way conversations when the parents reply back to emails. However, emailing parents can be misinterpreted and impersonal way to convey challenges or problems that the child is facing. So, only send emails to share positive information about a particular child’s activities and accomplishments. Teachers that
Graham-Clay, S. (2005). Communicating with parents: Strategies for teachers. School Community Journal, 15(1), 117-129. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195462342?accountid=34899
Communicating effectively with parents and students is important in order to be successful at teaching. Studies have shown that parental involvement in a student’s education allows for greater success in the classroom (Duarte, G, Cerda-Perez, E & Rosenberg, G 2007). Technology is beneficial in communicating with students and parents. The use of technology allows for students and parents to have access to current lesson plans as well as access to the teacher after normal school hours. This opens up doorways for the student or parent to ask questions about assignments and class discussions. The uses of classroom websites, e-mails, text messaging and student web sites are just a few examples of technology that is used to communicate with parents and students.
Effective communication is the foundation to building a trusting partnership and serves as a first step to other types of parent involvement . Families who receive consistent information about their children 's school performance, have a higher degree of commitment to helping children improve .When families and schools are on the same page, they can have a more concrete discussion around student progress to establish realistic goals and plans to support student achievement . I strive to have frequent contact with all families and use flexible communication strategies through multiple channels including written and printed materials (e.g. personal notes, newsletters), telephone conversation, email exchange, social media (e.g. facebook, twitter) and face-to-face conferences depending on the nature of information and families’ preference. I intend on always making the most of drop-off and pick-up activities by sharing at least one specific information about a child to the family whenever possible. Mobile technology has become a primary way of communication and I plan on enhancing daily communication between home and school through a mobile...
With the addition of globalization, the world has become a tech freak in communications via email and phones. Therefore as a paraprofessional, you will require three critically essential tasks as a good communicator. First, it is important to make phone calls to parents whenever the student is have a fantastic day, if you were to simply call just when there seemed to be behavioral problems. The students would practically face less consequences and the frequency of the unwanted behavior doesn’t change. Always communicate with the parents on good and bad days. Second, if a parent doesn’t respond to a phone call, at least leave a voice mail, and if that doesn’t seem to work, then start sending letter home. Multiple means of communication sets a good reputation of who you are. Also those messages are bound to reach the parents at some point. Third, when a parent is upset for some reason, make sure to give the proper space and communicate in manner that is always positive. A mad parent will talk negatively to other parents about you and that will give a bad impression of who you are. The three critical steps are the best style of keeping up with a positive communication with
As a future educator, I want to create a system to where my students’ parents know exactly what their child has learned that week, any problems that have arose, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they can do at home to ensure their child is growing academically. This could be done through a simple note home that the parent would have to sign. I think that as a teacher, I must remedy students academic problems through communication with the parents. Whether I am communicating directly or indirectly with parents, the outcome can only be better than what it would be without any communication at all.
This is when we need to step up and help the parent and the child so they don’t fall through the cracks of the education system. We need to increase parent involvement in each child education. Increasing parent involvement, begins with education the parents. Parents don’t realize or know how to get involved with their child’s education. There are many ways families can be involved in the education process. The parent is the child’s most valuable teacher for their whole life. The most benefit this will bring to the families is confidence. Teachers need to help the parents know that they can assist in their child’s education and can help them at home. There are workshops and training to help families get involved. The key is to offer incentives to the training to help increase the parent’s attendance, Communication is the one key with the parents. In today’s socially they are many ways to stay in contact with parents because of technology by email, text, or social media. Invite parent to come to the classroom and volunteer and see firsthand what a day look like for their child in the classroom. Have different events that will increase parents interest and eventually great participation. Another idea could be to send home activities that encourages family involvement. This can be activity that have the parents engage with each other and can be short and dynamic. The
Sometimes a student is successful in one area and having difficulty in another or a student has trouble using their words to communicate and becomes aggressive. At this center, the teachers have the tools to assess each child and the parents are interested in knowing the strengths and supports their child needs. The article Understanding Families, states that there should be “opportunities for families to discuss their beliefs about their children, what they want for their children, and how they support their children’s development” (Christian, 7). As conferences occur every 6 months, parents also communicate with the school and teachers via email and during drop off and pick up times. Another great example of parent communication is in the article Building Bridges from School to Home. The teacher builds relationships with parents by getting them to understand the areas that their child struggles and continues to strive in. Making sure they know that their child will master these skills when they are ready (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 2). At Staples Child Care Center, all teacher will assessments and observations about the child and a few suggestions that the child will benefit
A child’s first teacher is his or her mother and father. As a parent, involvement in the education process in the early years includes engaging the child through age appropriate games, regular reading, and simply interacting on a daily basis. A child that is engaged in this way are set up to develop into students who succeed academically. Once that child attends school, parental involvement shows that the parent places value on education. Furthermore, “staying connected to the classroom gives you ideas of how to expand what she learns at school,” (Driscoll & Nagel, 2010) thus providing parents with additional tools to implement in the home to continue the teaching process even after the school day has ended.
Telling your child's hobbies, pets, as well as learning difficulties and strengths will provide for a more intimate school year (Spencer, 2001). One of the ways in which parents play a critical role in their children?s social development is by encouraging their interactions with other youth (Updegraff, 2001). If children are able to work in group settings, this will not only help the child get along with other students, but it will also lessen the amount of disruptions in class thereby making it easier for the teacher to teach (Barbour, 1997). Parents need to stress the importance of little things your child can do to smooth the teacher?s day and help himself learn, such as listening when classmates answer questions, writing his name on assignments, and keeping his desk and work area tidy (Spencer, 2001). Parents can help your children avoid interrupting. Teachers love enthusiasm but yelling out too often will cause unneeded disruptions. Explain the good times to speak, such as when the teacher is inviting questions and the not so good times, such as when the teacher is talking to another student or giving directions (Spencer, 2001). Practicing these classroom manners will help with less disruptions and a better teaching and learning environment. Parental involvement promotes emotional growth of a child. The attachment between a child and parent is a long-lasting, emotional, learned response. It is the attachment in a parent and child relationship that forms the basis for a child to trust or not to trust their environment (Gestwicki, 2000). This proper attachment is essential for a child to trust other adults, such as their teachers and also to trust other students and make friends.
As an educator it is my job to make sure that parents are informed about their child or children. So we can address the matters and attempt to help with whatever is going on. I also feel like it is important for teachers to reach out to parents when things are going good. When a student’s grades change for the positive, I also think contact should be made. I think that teachers should find out what means of communication works best for the parent. Maybe the parent works a lot and can only read an email or take a quick phone call at lunch. As a teacher you have to be flexible for the parents in many
“The ultimate goal for school-home communication is high standards for student achievement. Communication is effective when it contributes to parent and family involvement toward that end.” (AFT, 2012. p.55). In schools there are a plethora of steps that can be implemented to improve this type of dialogue. School and home communication is a big issue in many schools. Parent and teacher schedules are often times very hectic. So what can we do to make this more of a priority? My school does a great job as we are very flexible in meeting the parents around their work schedule. We continue to call home almost daily regarding any issues the student might be having. Teachers send point sheets home that discuss behavior as well as any assignments
...rs are also an effective method of sharing information with parents. If the school has an established time schedule for newsletter printing and distribution, the parents may rely upon this as a way of keeping up with important dates and information about their child’s growth and the needs of the classroom. With the growth of the new media, an email list can also provide effective and prompt information to the class as a whole, but cannot be effectively relied upon, as the assumption cannot be made that all people have email addresses or internet access.
Research shows that children do better in school when parents talk often with teachers and become involved. Kids whose parents interact with teachers usually get higher grades and test scores, develop positive attitudes about school, and are better behaved. Parents and teachers need to communicate on a regular basis, not just at parent/teacher conferences. But sometimes, a parent doesn’t know just how to go about getting involved or how to make that positive connection with the teacher and/or school.
A lot of children have two main educators in their life; their parents and their teachers. Parents are their first educators, the majority of what a child learns in the first few years of their life is taught by their parents. It is only when the child starts to attend an early years setting that they start to learn from another educator. Both parents and teachers continue being a major influence on their children's learning all throughout school and for the rest of their lives. The parents and the child's school both have important roles to play in the child's education and should therefore work together as a team. Parents can get involved in many different ways such as; getting involved with the school itself by helping in the classroom or supervising lunch and break times, or for those parents who work in the day and cannot find the time to help at the school they can get involved by; reading to their child at home, assisting with homework and other learning activities, teaching them songs or nursery rhymes and letting them help with everyday tasks like cooking, baking and chores. This can be categorised as: Involvement of parents in the school life or involvement of parents in supporting the individual child at home.
In the reading it brings up how most parents are only contacted by the school when it is something bad. This is not how it should be. Teachers should be sending home good news notes to the parents praising the students for their hard work in the class. Schools also need to be welcoming to the families and provide workshops to assist in the parent’s knowledge to allow them to help their children with their schoolwork. Having the parents involved and aware of the things that are going on in the classroom and the school are great ways to build that relationship and to enhance the student’s academic achievement and