Struggling with Parent Communication in Your Classroom? 5 Proactive Strategies

CULTIVATING POSITIVE PARENT COMMUNICATION

Parent communication - positive or negative - has a direct impact on student learning.

Are you struggling with your interactions with your student families? And does it really matter?

I would say YES! Problems with a difficult parent can directly affect your interactions with that student. What you must ask yourself is: is that fair? And how can you avoid the bias that can creep in with dealing with that child of a difficult parent?

The best way to bypass that unfairness is to take a proactive approach.

A proactive teaching approach involves putting relationships first and initiating parent communication (instead of waiting for them to contact you.) Because the last thing you want is to be in the position where you are just reacting to things parents are asking, or (in extreme cases) complaining about.

HOW TO BE PROACTIVE WITH PARENT COMMUNICATION (ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE NEW)

Set expectations from the beginning.

This goes back to last week and creating systems. Think through and communicate your classroom rules and expectations to students and parents. This takes planning and organization.

If you’re new, YOU DON’T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL! Find a safe, experienced colleague who is comfortable answering your questions. Learn from them and ask them to share templates and examples of emails and letters home. (Don’t be afraid to ask for help - teachers are sharers!)

Specify boundaries.

Boundaries set limits...on your time, your emotions, how far you’ll extend yourself, etc.  Much of exhaustion/stress can be from a lack of boundaries. As a teacher, you must overcome any people-pleasing tendencies. One of the best ways? Create boundaries and stick to them.

How can you incorporate boundaries into parent communication? Instead of being reactive (and telling a parent you can’t meet with them when they “want” an appointment,) let parents know your availability from the beginning.

But what happens when someone steps over your boundary? HOLD THE LINE. You can be available without being taken advantage of. Parents will respect you for it even if they may be annoyed at the time.

Also, have specific times of day when you address parent communication. Set times in your day and your week when you will address your messages and set time limits around it

Show Up Consistently.

Be prepared for your job. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to demonstrate that you have made an effort. You will feel more confident when you are doing your best, and the parents will have more respect when you demonstrate that you are making an effort. 

Be optimistic.

Assume the best of your students’ parents. (Refer to articles below.) Often families feel misunderstood about their involvement or their lack thereof. Don’t make snap judgments about why a parent is not more involved – seek to understand the situation.

Invest the time.

As Stephen Covey said, “...with people, fast is slow and slow is fast”. This is especially true with parent communication. Building relationships takes time, but it is worth it.

Starting parent communication positively with clear expectations will help you when you must have harder conversations. Not only that, but your students will also sense the partnership. They will be more motivated to learn as you and their parents’ partner and support their learning.

PARENT COMMUNICATION CREATES A BETTER CLASSROOM CULTURE

Do positive parent-teacher relationships affect student learning and engagement?

YES!

As a new teacher, parent communication is intimidating. It can be hard to feel confident when you are learning this skill...but confidence comes with practice. 

Don’t give in to the limiting beliefs that say parents should be kept at arm’s length or are going to criticize you.

Teens need both their parents and teachers to be their mentors.

They need to see those mentors working together.

CONFIDENT PARENT COMMUNICATION

Taking the initiative with parent communication and showing that you are professional and consistent will begin to build a strong foundation. It will also bridge the gap you may feel from being new to the job.

In the process, you as a teacher become a more confident communicator. As your stress decreases about parent communication, more opportunities open up to connect with your students.

You can do this! You aren’t expected to know it all though. It’s ok (and even necessary) to ask for help...

I can help you!

Be sure to join the Meaningful Mentor Workshop waitlist to be the first to get details.