To a parent, their child is near and dear to their heart. When problems arise, some parents can get defensive and often jump to incorrect conclusions as they only have one side of the story. Most often than not, it is the teacher that ends up on the receiving end of their frustration.
In order to mitigate situations like this. it is important to build strong connections with parents right away so that you can work together instead of against each other. When both parties are on the same side, it benefits the child the most as parents can openly share their thoughts with you without rushing to judgement. Both sides can work together to resolve any issues.
The steps outlined today will ensure that parents feel comfortable and safe enough to let you know if any issues arose at home that may be on a child’s mind at school.
Honestly, if all you do is implement one of the four strategies that I’ve outlined in the following section, you’ll see a huge difference in your relationship with your students’ parents and you’ll have fewer problems with them over time.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Provide Sneak Peaks
Send emails or post on your website about specific topics that you might be working on or any upcoming deadlines. That way, parents always feel like they are in the loop of what’s going on in your class. Don’t share everything or you’ll be writing an endless email. Just outline a few points. This way, when a child says that they don’t know what they did in class that day, the parents already know.
#2. Have Open Communication
Instead of only contacting the parents when a child is not doing well in your class, talk to them about all of the positive things that their child has done and any special moments that stuck out to you that day.
Depending on the parent and the type of needs your child has, it may be wise to send a weekly email or one every few days outlining a specific child’s progress, any new strategies that you’ve tried and how it’s working out. Invite the parents to share their feedback as well so that they feel like they are working in partnership with you.
#3. Be Inviting
Let parents know that they are always welcome to come and talk to you. Remind them that they need to set an appointment with you ahead of time though as you have meetings and so forth. This is to ensure that you have some boundaries set in place for those who will randomly show up as you’re about to leave for the day.
If you have an event, invite parents to it so that they can take part in what their kids are working on in class.
#4. Show Gratitude
When a child does something nice for you, beyond just thanking the child, email their parents about it as well so that they can share in this beautiful moment.
Here’s an example from my class: one of my students gave my son a lollipop and another gave him a bracelet at a school event. I thanked the kids in the moment and the day after. I also emailed the parents who praised their children after school and made them feel special about their good deed.
Follow this procedure for when a parent does or says something kind to you as well.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The importance of working to improve your relationship with your students’ parents.
- Four ways teachers can work well with parents: provide sneak peaks, have open communication, be inviting, and show gratitude.
Free Resources:
If your children are struggling to hand in assignments on time, check out the following video training: 3 Steps to Teach Children How to Overcome Procrastination to Increase Productivity.
In the mean time, if you’re feeling stressed out, overwhelmed and burnout, then I encourage you to check out the following: FREE MASTERCLASS: Systematic Plan to Super Passionate.
Next Steps:
For calm down areas on a budget, for your students who have autism, CLICK HERE.
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
