Today, we continue our conversation about ways to soften the anxieties of first year teachers by focusing on talking to the parents and guardians of students. It is understandable that there would be a sense of caution when talking to our students’ parents. Time after time there have been stories about teachers being raked over the coals because a parent or guardian raised their voice (sort of speak) to an administrator. Perhaps, the concern was legitimate. We need to be held accountable. However, it can become a matter of parent said; teacher said. More than likely, it is a matter of the student saying something which, of course, the parent believes instead of being open to what the teacher has to say. Both parent and teacher are probably right and wrong even if it is just in the approach to the discussion. So, let’s talk about a way to diminish the anxieties and lessen the chance of these kinds of confrontations.
3 Easy Rules
BE WELCOMING
The easiest, and probably smartest, thing a teacher can do right at the get-go is to start out the year with a big, fat welcome. It sets the tone and opens the communication channels. You get to narrate who you are and what you expect out of the school year. Hopefully, this will provide a sense of comfort and maybe trust for the parent. After all, once school starts, their child will probably be at school more than they will be at home.
- Provide contact information
- Get the parents and guardians excited about what their kids will be doing in your classroom
- Ask for supply donations (tissues, expo markers, pencils, paper, etc.…)
- If applicable, attach a syllabus
1st year teachers, you can write this letter over the summer. Try to do these kinds of things before you start pre-planning. You will be thankful that you took care of some of these small tasks ahead of time because it will be busy at the beginning of the year. Plus, you can get this letter out to your students’ parents on day one. #impress
BE POSITIVE
We all know that there is always that one student who challenges us the entire school year. Maybe they are rambunctious, a little too social, or never do their work. My point is that there will be students who need us to be in frequent contact or partnership with their parent or guardian. It is important, probably imperative, that you reach out to parents/guardians for the good things and not just the bad. If Goofy is always acting crazy and disrupting the class, we have probably been in contact with his parents. Now, if Goofy comes to class one day and participates with his small group and stays engaged for most of the time, we want to let him know that we recognize the good with the bad. He should be told that he did a good job that day, and we should reach out to his parent/guardian to let them know he had a good day. They will appreciate that the calls or emails are not always negative. Find the positive.
BE PRO-ACTIVE
There are so many ways to make sure that parents and guardians have easy access to information. I like sending a monthly email to my parents and guardians. It would discuss what their kids have been working on in my classroom with some prompts for them to create a conversation with their children at home.
Parent: I heard you are reading poetry. Do you like poems?
Child: Not really.
Parent: Well, your teacher said that you could pick a theme for poems. What did you pick?
Child: Female Empowerment.
Parent: Wow, ok. Did you find a poem for that theme?
Child: I found this poem called “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid.
In my fantasy, the parent and child then go find the poem on Google and read it together. They discuss the ideas and theme of the poem. 😊 Either way, I like to try and give the parents/guardians some things that they could mention at the family table or in the car to have a conversation.
In my monthly email, I would let the parents/guardians know about any upcoming dates for tests or paper. I liked to attach a calendar with a big overview of what we would be doing in class day-to-day.
A lot of teachers use a platform like Edmodo or Schoology to post updates, information, and handouts. Parents and students can access those at any time. The nice thing is you can post things at any time of day.
The most important thing is to be in communication with parents and guardians frequently. You can send out a mass email or pick up the phone to let someone know that their child did a good job today. Avoiding any conversations with parents is just a bad idea. They are probably your most important stakeholder.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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