Collaboration with Parents

Collaboration with parents is just as important as any other area of teaching because parents can be very useful partners in a student's education. Students split their time between home and school, which means that they must continue their education at home, since teachers can't always be with them. Parents have a huge influence on the learning that occurs outside of school time, making it crucial for them to be "on the same page" as the teacher. When teachers and parents work together harmoniously towards a common goal, that parent's child will greatly benefit from this partnership. If both sides have the student's best interest at heart, then they both have the responsibility of upholding healthy communication with the other in order to be informed of the student's progress at home and at school.

The Process

I've chosent to represent the relationship between the teacher and the parents with a balanced scale. Children have better chances of succeeding if they have a good balance of support from their parents at home and from their teachers at school. However, some children might have troubled home lives and therefore need more support from the teacher in order to make up for the lack of help they receive at home. In this case, the balance might be tipped more towards school life.

Home Life

School Life

The balanced scale can also represent the interactions and communication between parents and teachers. If the relationship is well balanced and there's healthy communication, then the student will feel like these two areas of their life is well-balanced. Even if parents and teachers might disagree on the best strategies to move the child forward, the key is that discussions are being held for that child. If both partners are committed and informed, the child has better chances of succeeding.

The Goals

Teachers and parents communicate and have meetings for many different reasons, which usually concern the child and his/her well-being. If there are urgent matters to be discussed, then meetings can be scheduled to deal with the particular issue. Most of the time, teachers and parents meet to generally move the child forward in his/her education. Nevertheless, many parents are also involved in different aspects of school life, such as school events, fieldtrips, etc. Here are some examples of goals that these two partners may try to reach:

IMPROVE BEHAVIOUR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF COMPLETED HOMEWORK AT HOME
SOLVE ISSUES WITH OTHER STUDENTS
DEVELOP A BETTER COMMUNICATION SYSTEM BETWEEN PARENTS AND TEACHER (AGENDA/NOTES, ETC.)
REVIEW AND UPDATE IEPs
IMPROVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCHOOL
INCREASE MOTIVATION AND FOCUS AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL
PLAN SCHOOL EVENTS (DANCES, BOOK FAIRS, BREAKFAST WITH SANTA)

The Strategies

Teachers and parents must find different ways of staying in touch, especially if meetings are not possible due to conflicting schedules. Here are some of the methods I've used to collaborate with parents for various reasons:

Phone calls
Notes in the agenda
Report Cards
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Scheduled Meetings

The chosen form of communication will always depend on what works best for the parent and the teacher. However, parent-teacher interviews are always a great way of checking in with the parent and informing one another of what's happening at home and at school.

To the left: A parent-teacher notice on the school website and an example of a note sent home to parents. Above: Report card verification sheet template

Special Events

Parents must also be informed - and often invited to - the special events that the school is planning and/or hosting. Often, parents even help out as volunteers or chaperones during fiedltrips, dances, book fairs, concerts, breakfasts, etc. Therefore, it is important to maintain healthy relationships with parents because they are often present in the school for purposes other than their child's academics. Here are a couple of special events at school that I've been part of throughout my teaching:

Holiday Breakfast

Storytelling Competition

Tea time with Grandmothers

Welcome Back Day

Collaboration with Others: Students and School Staff

Apart from working with parents and other teachers, educators must collaborate with students and various staff members in order to meet certain goals, plan events, and develop projects. Working with students is remarkably refreshing because they bring so many inspiring and interesting ideas to the table. Here are some images of the work I've done with my students to illustrate how exciting it is to involve students in events and clubs. Click on the slideshow below to view the images.

Art Club Poster

Art Club Project

Remembrance Day Ceremony

Art Club Poster

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Reflections

My experience with parents has been quite interesting because I love getting a glimpse into my students' home lives, as this can often help explain a lot about the student's performance and behaviour at school. I've realized that it can sometimes be difficult to tell parents that their children are not progressing as well as expected or that they are struggling in school. However, I know that it is for the best because parents can help children move forward in a way that teachers cannot. I've had very positive experiences with parents who are willing to work with their children at home, as well as experiences with parents who don't really know how to help their children improve. As teachers, it is our responsibility to guide these parents in helping their children because this can greatly affect student performance in the classroom.