Both parents and teachers play a vital role in the healthy development of a child. Children spend their maximum amount of time in school and at home. So, the teachers need to report the activity of the children to their parents more often.
This communication between the teachers and the parents will help in the proper development of children. The teachers need to know the proper way of communicating with the parents. Appropriate ways to communicate with parents as a teacher will make communication more effective.
“The best ways to communicate with parents as a teacher include regular newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, digital platforms like email and educational apps, and fostering an open-door policy to encourage ongoing dialogue and collaboration in a child’s education.”
Why is it important for teachers to build relationships with parents?
The common query that everyone has is why teachers need to build relationships with parents. Some people think that it is enough for a teacher to communicate with the students only. There is no need for the involvement of parents with the teachers.
But this is a wrong idea to follow. Both teachers and parents must take the children on the right path. The teacher alone cannot deal with children without the help of the parents. Do you know, How a teacher helps the Community?
After home, a child spends a lot of time at school. The parent-teacher relationship helps the parents to know the status of their children in school.
Effective Ways to Communicate with Parents as a Teacher
There are many ways by following which a teacher can communicate with a parent. But are these methods of communication effective? Not all ways of communication are effective. There might remain some gap in the communication between them. So, effective ways to communicate with parents are a matter of great concern. The best ways to communicate with parents as a teacher are discussed below.
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Be Humble towards parents
It is important to talk in a polite gesture with the student’s parents. A teacher must need the help of the parents to improve the disciplinary activities of a child. A teacher faces tough times when they have naughty students. Complaining to the parents about the naughty behavior in a rough way will not help anyone.
A teacher has to make a complain politely. It is not good to make any assumptions about the child’s behavior beforehand. At first, politely ask questions related to the problems. This will help the teacher to understand the reason behind any kind of activity of a child.
Parents-Teacher Meetings at School
The teacher-parents can have a face to face communication. In-person communication is considered the best of all communication methods. This method allows both of them to express their thoughts clearly.
It is good to arrange a parent-teacher meeting at school after every exam. This will help the teacher to show the grades of the students to the parents. Now, one might think that grades can be published on school websites.
So, why should parents need to attend meetings instead of getting the results from websites? Well, the logic behind this method is very simple. This way of communication will allow the teachers to explain the mistakes made by the children. Also, the parents will understand the problems and will systematically put effort.
Moreover, it is not easy for someone to explain everything over the telephone or by email. Virtual ways of communication seem to be less effective than real ones. Parents can understand the problems that their children are facing. By analyzing the problems both teachers can come to a solution to solve that problem. A teacher can also know about the home environment of their students.
Annual Programs of Schools
Different annual events that are held in school can be a chance for the teachers to communicate with the parents of their students. Parents can see the school and classroom environment of their children.
By seeing the classroom environment the parents can know about the academic structure. This will help the parents to prepare their children as per the expectations of the school.
Teachers can go through an effective discussion with the parents in annual programs. The teacher and the parents can jointly make the academic life of a student effective. Teachers can have a proper discussion with the parents about how to manage the children properly. This communication will ease the job of a teacher to handle the students in a better way.
Through Phone Calls
It is always not possible for the parents to attend the parents-teachers meetings. Also, in-person meetings are held after a gap of a certain period. So, there should be other ways of communication along with the parent-teacher meetings. Parents-Teacher meetings at school are not enough to report about the child’s regular activities. Hence, communicating through phone calls can help a lot. Teachers should try to choose an appropriate time to make the phone call. Timing is important to prove themselves a good teacher.
The parents need to know the school activities of their children. There might be some incidents of children that should be reported to parents immediately. Waiting for the annual meetings will not be a wise decision for a teacher. Teachers can give a phone call to communicate with the parents. It is a quick method for the teachers to connect with the parents. A small phone call will help the teachers to connect with a parent.
Calling the parents to report a negative behavior of a child is not a good thing to follow. It is better not to mention negative things in phone calls. A teacher can discuss the ways to improve the activity of students in phone calls. However teacher-parent meetings at school are a better option to report negative activity. If it is urgent to report anything negative then teachers can make a phone call to parents. And tell them to come to school to discuss the matter.
Text-Messaging
For short communication text messaging over the phone will help a lot. Sometimes, teachers need to convey a short message to parents. Parents do not need to go to their children’s schools to get the message. Teachers can leave a short text message to parents. Text messaging is a great communication tool to convey the news to parents.
It is unnecessary to call a parent instead of texting. Not all incidents are equally important to bother the parents. Calling the parents for less important things is unnecessary. Teachers can make an effective engagement with the parents by texting the parents.
Communication Through emails
The teacher can email parents to discuss something important. Emails will help the teacher to convey the message with some documents. They can attach relevant documents as a reference for their discussion topic. The documents will help the parent to understand the related topic more efficiently.
Moreover, teachers can report about the classroom activities of a child. There is no need to report daily about the classroom activity. The teacher can make a report of weekly activities. And then email the weekly records to the parents. You will find many parent-teacher relationship pdf on the internet. Communication through emails is one of the effective ways that you will find in those pdf.
Communication through Virtual Meetings
Many platforms help teachers to have effective virtual meetings. Having a face-to-face conversation is efficient in making a discussion effective. It is not always possible for the teachers to have a face-to-face discussion with the teachers. Virtual meeting platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, etc. are effective ways of conversation.
Teachers can invite parents to attend a virtual meeting. Virtual meetings are important to discuss the problems that children are facing. Also, teachers can discuss the exams, results, and classroom behavior of the students.
Another Some best ways to communicate with parents as a Teacher
Building Bridges, Not Walls: Best Ways to Communicate with Parents as a Teacher
Effective communication with parents is the golden thread that weaves a strong partnership for student success. It fosters trust, collaboration, and a unified front in supporting your young learners. Here are some unique ways to bridge the gap and create a communication haven:
1. Embrace Variety
Go tech-savvy: Utilize school communication apps, email newsletters, or even class websites to share updates, schedules, and student work. Parents can access information on their own time, and translated versions can bridge language barriers.
Pick up the phone: A personal touch goes a long way. Schedule brief, regular phone calls (morning or evening) to share quick updates or address concerns. This is especially helpful for families who may not be comfortable with technology.
Handwritten notes: A handwritten note expressing appreciation for a student’s effort or simply wishing them a happy birthday can work wonders. It shows parents you care about their child beyond academics.
2. Foster Two-Way Communication
Open-door policy: Encourage parents to reach out with questions, concerns, or even just a friendly hello. Schedule drop-in hours or designate days for informal chats.
Parent-teacher conferences: Go beyond the traditional format. Consider “learning walks” where you and parents observe the classroom together, or host informal coffee chats to discuss student progress and goals.
Student-led conferences: Empower students to share their work, challenges, and successes with their parents alongside you. This fosters ownership and builds confidence in both students and parents.
3. Transparency is Key
- Regular progress reports: Don’t wait for grades to communicate. Share regular updates on student behavior, engagement, and specific areas of improvement. Use clear, positive language and specific examples.
- Celebrate successes: Don’t just focus on challenges. Share student achievements, big and small, to boost morale and keep parents engaged in their child’s learning journey.
- Be honest and upfront: When addressing concerns, be direct but empathetic. Offer solutions and work together with parents to find the best support for their child.
Communication is a two-way street. Actively listen to parents’ concerns, validate their feelings, and work together to create a supportive environment for every child. By embracing these unique strategies, you can build bridges of collaboration, paving the way for a thriving learning community.
Some FAQ’s
How often should a teacher communicate with parents?
There is no specific time interval that a teacher should maintain. Whenever the teacher feels like it is necessary to communicate they can do so at the moment. Frequent communication will develop an effective parent-teacher relationship. It is good to update students’ reports weekly to parents.
What are the dos and Don’ts that should be followed in parent-teacher communication?
A little late to inform the parents can hurt the children. So, do inform the problem of the children as fast as you can. The thing that a teacher should not do is to avoid the reply from parents. A teacher should immediately reply to the messages from parents.
How do teachers contact parents?
Randomly contacting parents will not bring a fruitful result. Never start a conversation with negative news with your student’s parents. Parents are less likely to pay attention if someone starts talking from a negative point of view. At first, it is important to admire the inner talent of the students. Then describe the undesirable action of the child without labeling the action.
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Final Note
Parent-teacher communication is not a matter of ignorance. Ignorance of this matter will hurt a child’s life. The teachers need to maintain frequent communication with the parents. Mediocre communication will not bring that much benefit. So, the ways to communicate with parents as a teacher need to be effective. This article will enlighten you with the most effective ways to communicate with parents.