6 ways to ROCK at building parent-teacher Relationships

When I first began my career as a teacher I just knew I was ready for EVERYTHING.  My motto:  "Bring on the world!"  And I truly did feel like I was successful in many areas of teaching.  But I wonder now what the parents of my students may have thought about me.  I sure thought I knew a great deal about them.  

I often had awful thoughts about parents- why they couldn't change their child's behavior, or what made them such helicopter parents, etc...  And although I had these thoughts, I still did relatively well communicating with parents.  But it took years of teaching, and becoming a parent myself, to learn how to develop super strong parent-teacher relationships.  No longer am I "above" parents and more knowledgeable than they about their own child.

I've learned quite a bit over the last 11 years about parents, teaching, and parent-teacher relationships.  I now believe it is one of the most important aspects of education and is a strong factor in student success.  So, check out this list of 6 ways that YOU can ROCK at building parent-teaching relationships.  

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6 ways to ROCK at building parent-Teacher relationships

1.  Start on Their Side

One awesome thing about teachers is that most of us tend to be very helpful.  And sometimes we like to be helpful in ways that might actually hinder parent-teacher relationships.  From year to year, your students' previous teachers will attempt to help you understand more about the students and their families.  You inevitably begin the year with preconceived notions about the students and/ or the students' parents.  This is your friendly reminder to let go of those notions!  Start the year on the parent's side and get to know them on your own, leaving previously shared thoughts behind for the time being.  Meet families for "Getting To Know You" interviews before the year begins (or within the first few weeks) and start fresh!

2.  Make yourself available

Keep in mind that as a teacher, your hours are not necessarily convenient for parents.  In addition to being a parent, they may have long work hours that do not coincide with our schedules.  Instead of limiting them to YOUR conference time, provide multiple times and days from which THEY can choose- early before school, during lunch, after school, Saturday morning (GASP!).  

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3.  Gain perspective!!

If you are not yet a parent, you may have a more difficult time understanding parents' desires for their children, or the reason parents do some of the things they do (or don't do).  But if at all possible, try gaining some perspective.  Think about these things:

• What has this family gone through that might cause the things I notice?
• What is the parent's work schedule like?  What kind of time are they able to provide for their child?
• What is this parent's perspective on education?
• How does this family's schedule affect their ability to participate in school-related functions?
• What kinds of things are these parents dealing with when the child is at home?

After gaining some perspective, chances are you will notice a shift in your mindset about the parent.

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4.  Remember- Their child is their Whole world!

There's not much more to add to this...  Every child means the world to someone.  Keeping this in mind and showing the parent that you truly believe this will leave them trusting you completely.  Click here to go to several AWESOME printables that will help you stay grounded and focused in your classroom.  

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5.  Communication is key

You likely already communicate on some level, but I always like to assess myself every now and then and think about how well I am communicating:  Do parents have multiple ways to access classroom or school information?  Are parents informed frequently on their child's academic or social progress?  It can be difficult to keep this ball in the air with everything else that is required of us as teachers, however, it is imperative if a strong parent-teacher relationship is desired.  Consider these ideas for increasing communication:

• Weekly (or monthly) newsletters sent both in paper format and as PDF via email.
• Class website or blog- there are SO many options for class websites or blogs.  I choose to use Shutterfly Share Sites.  Families can view information online or via the Shutterfly Share Sites app.  We post pictures, include calendar events, and post weekly newsletters.
• Monthly positive emails- What parent doesn't love a positive note from their child's teacher?!  Sending positive emails regularly will help parents feel connected to what's going on at school and will also ease the pain of sometimes necessary unpleasant emails.  
• Online learning journals- We recently began using SeeSaw in our classroom and it has been one of our best technology moves yet!  Students or teachers can post work in various ways and invite parents to view their child's learning journal.  They also can add comments or "like" what they see.  

Check out SeeSaw in action by going to the Learning Gallery on this site!

6.  Smile and go the extra mile!

Finally, and perhaps most important, simply smile and go the extra mile!  When a parent steps into your classroom at the most inopportune time, simply smile and give them the impression, at the very least, that you truly care about what they need.  Invite them in to be a part of your learning community.  Share the small things here and there that make their child special.  After all, we get a very large chunk of their child's life.  Let's reassure parents that their children are in the best of hands.