Effective Parent Teacher Communication

1
Effective Parent - Teacher Communication Year 1
Participating Teachers September 26, 2007 Marti
Wernle
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Two Sculptors I dreamed I stood in a studio and
watched two sculptors there. The clay they used
was a childs mind, And they fashioned it with
care. One was a teacher. The tools she used
were books, music and art. One was a parent who
worked with a guiding hand and a loving
heart. Day after day the teacher toiled with
touch that was deft and sure, While the parent
labored by her side and polished and smoothed it
oer. And when at last their task was done, They
were proud of what theyd wrought. For the things
they had molded into the child Could neither be
sold or bought. And each agreed he would have
failed If he had worked alone. For behind the
teacher Stood the school, And behind the
parent, The home. -Author Unknown Please fill
out the Parent Communication Checklist while you
wait.
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Effective Communication

• Positive
• Personalized
• Proactive
• Partnership

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Positive

• Start communicating at the beginning of the year
  before you need parents help.
• Begin and end every conversation with something
  positive about the student.
• Remember that each parents child is the most
  important child to him or her.

5
Personalized

• Make personalized phone calls home as soon as
  possible.
• Jot quick personal notes on letters home.
• Write quick notes in students assignment books
  (planners, binder minders).

6
Proactive

• Keep parents informed.
• Give plenty of notice for special assignments and
  events.
• Let parents know immediately when you have
  concerns.
• Work together to prevent problems from developing.

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Partnership

• Utilize parents as the premier expert on their
  own child.
• When problems arise, ask for their suggestions
  and ideas (including what works at home).
• Encourage parents to respond to your notes by
  leaving a comments/questions space.

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Communication Dos

• Send positive messages to parents.
• Show respect in your body language and words.
• Contact parents at the 1st sign of problems.
• Develop contacts and identify personnel and other
  community agencies that can provide support and
  services to families.
• Identify personnel who can translate.
• Develop a class website.

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Communication Donts

• Contact parent only when there is a problem.
• Talk down to parent.
• Contact parent only after a problem has gotten
  out of hand.
• Contact parent when you do not have a plan of
  action.
• Send information only in English when parents
  speak other languages.
• Blame parents .
• Expect parents to do most of the teaching.

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Establishing Parent Communication Early

• Give one/Get one for Back to School Night

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Welcome Letter

• Establish the link between home and school
• Keep the length under a page
• Make the tone upbeat and enthusiastic
• Tell them that you need their support and
  consider the education of their children a team
  effort
• Give information about your professional
  background
• Give information about your educational plans and
  special activities for the upcoming school year
• Write a statement expressing your confidence in
  the success you expect for all of your students

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I was so hesitant to make that first phone call
to a parent. But it was great. She thanked me
for calling. We had a conference, and it changed
everything. I thought, Gosh, I should have
called a long time ago.
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Phone Calls

• Elementary teachers, call parent within the first
  2 months with a success story.
• Secondary teachers, make a goal of calling 5
  parents a week to say something positive about
  their child.
• Parents wont cringe when you call with a problem.

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Parent Survey

• During the first week or so, send home a survey
  or have parents write a letter about their child.
• Use this survey during the first conference to
  break the ice.
• Within 3 weeks, send another survey home asking
  about how their student is adjusting.

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Create a Class Web Page

• Go to SVUSD homepage.
• Go to Teacher Portal and click on Saddlesite so
  you can create your own class webpage.
• Keep class webpage updated.
• Let students contribute.
• Post Student of the Month pictures.
• Let parents know of upcoming events.
• Post weekly homework.
• Create links for students and parents.

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Suggested Elements of Parent Handbook

• Class list
• School address, phone number, and school hours
• A note about yourself
• A daily classroom schedule
• Grade level curriculum information
• Your homework policy
• Your discipline policy
• School calendar
• Policies about absences, medical appointments,
  and make-up work

• Possible articles reproducibles
• Helpful Homework Hints
• Weekend learning activities
• How to help students succeed in school
• Recommended books for students to read
• Shared reading time activities
• Family games that foster learning

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Form Family Homework Partnerships

• Communicate your homework policies to the parents
• Explain why you assign homework.
• Explain the types of homework you will assign.
• Inform parents of SVUSDs homework policies.
• Explain how homework will affect the students
  grades and consequences for not competing it.
• Clarify the parents role in the completion of
  homework.
• Inform parents of regularly scheduled tests.

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• 10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed at School
• Encourage reading in any way you can.
• Treat your child as though hes an author.
• Make math part of her everyday life.
• Teach your child how to listen.
• Support your childs teacher and the school
  rules.
• Tell the teacher everything.
• Make sure your child is ready for school.
• Spend time in your childs classroom.
• Encourage responsibility and independence.
• Ask your child about school every day.
• http//www.scholastic.com/schoolage/kindergarten/a
  tschool/helpsucceed.htm

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• Parent-Volunteer Survey
• Course ________________ Period
  ___________________
• Semester ___________ Teacher ___________________
  __
• Parent name _____________________________________
  
• Home phone ________________ Work phone
  __________
• Fax _______________ E-mail address
  _______________
• Availability M T W TH F Time(s)
  _____________________
• Interests
• 1. Field trip supervision
• 2. Curriculum projects
• 3. Assisting in the classroom
• 4. Special events and celebrations
• 5. At-home projects
• 6. Telephone tree about special projects and
  programs
• 7. Class photographer
• 8. Guest speaker
• 9. Art projects and related activities
• 10. Other ______________________________________
  

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Handling Problems

• Problems arise out of poor communication.

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Barriers to Family Involvement

• Transportation
• Child Care
• Lack of Time
• Not Understanding The System
• Language and Cultural Differences
• Feelings of Inferiority and negative feelings
  about school

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Problem-solving Phone Call Planner(Jot down
points you want to cover in each of these areas
during the call.)

• Begin with a statement of sincere concern.
• Describe the specific behavior that necessitated
  the call.

• Describe the steps you have taken to solve the
  problem.
• Get information from the parent.
• Document parent comments.

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Problem-solving Phone Call Planner(continued)

• Present your ideas for solutions to the problem.
• .
• Express confidence in your ability to address the
  problem.

• Plan for follow-up contact.
• Send home a copy of your agreed upon solutions
  and the date of your follow-up contact.

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Dealing With Different Types of Parents

• Belligerent Parents -
• Remain calm and thank the parent for expressing
  concern.
• Listen to the parents complaints.
• Ask the parent to be more specific.
• Clarify what is in the childs best interest.
• Suggest working together to solve the problem.
• If the parent is still upset, suggest that he or
  she talk with the principal.

• Indifferent Parents -
• Contact them by e-mail or phone. When using
  e-mail, make certain to use the option that
  reveals to you that they have opened your e-mail.
• Verify that you have the most current telephone
  numbers. Let your principal know about efforts to
  contact this childs parents.
• Dont give up!

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Dealing With Different Types of Parents

• Reluctant Parents -
• Speak with the student to find out information
  about their home situations.
• Let the parent know how much you value and
  encourage their support and participation.
• Invite them to keep you informed of important
  events in their childrens lives.
• Cooperative Parents -
• Recruit these parents to serve as liaisons
  between you and the other parents.
• Be careful not to take advantage of these
  parents!

• Overly Interested Parents-
• Their children may be experiencing difficulties
  of which you are unaware.
• Make an effort to invite them to a conference.

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Parent Conferences

• Send home a conference invitation early so you
  can schedule parent conferences at a convenient
  time for them.
• Prepare samples of each students class work.
• Write down all the issues you plan to discuss.
• Post a conference schedule outside your class so
  that parents will respect conference times.
• Greet parents enthusiastically.

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Conferences continued

• Provide adult-sized chairs in your room and have
  chairs outside the door as parents wait their
  turn.
• Sit beside your parents.
• Ask parents for their perception of their childs
  strengths and needs .
• Listen intently
• Say something positive in the beginning and again
  at the end.
• Have a translator if necessary.

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Parent Conference Planning Sheet

• Students name ______________ Conference Date
  _____________
• Example of students unique quality
  _______________________
• Past problems to be updated _at_ conference
  _________________
• _________________________________________________
  ____
• Academic strengths of student ___________________
  _________
• Academic needs that should be discussed
  __________________
• Academic goals for student ______________________
  ________
• Parent input on students academic performance
  _____________
• _________________________________________________
  ____
• 7.  Social strengths of the student
  ____________________________
• 8. Needs in the area of social development
  ____________________
• 9. Social development goals for the rest of the
  year _____________
• ________________________________________________
  ____
• 10. Parent input regarding students social
  behavior ______________
•    ____________________________________________
  _________
• 11. Additional issues parent wishes to discuss
  ___________________
• _________________________________________________
  ____
• 12. Additional conference notes
  ______________________________
•   ____________________________________________
  _________

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Components of Good Communication

• A trusting relationship
• Using good listening skills
• Empathetic acceptance
• Congruence between body language and verbal
  language
• Clearly defined roles and expectations
• Desire to promote the parents involvement in
  their childs education.
• Nonjudgmental conversation
• Honesty
• Linguistic Skills
• Paraphrasing
• Clarifying
• Pausing and using silence
• Mediational questioning

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Paraphrasing

• Paraphrasing communicates that the listener has
• HEARD what the speaker said,
• UNDERSTOOD what was said, and
• CARES
• Paraphrasing involves either
• RESTATING in your own words, or
• SUMMARIZING
• Some possible paraphrasing stems include the
  following
• So
• In other words
• What Im hearing you saying

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Clarifying

• Clarifying communicates that the listener has
• HEARD what the speaker said, but does
• NOT fully UNDERSTAND what was said.
• Clarifying involves ASKING A QUESTION
• Some possible clarifying stems include the
  following
• Would you tell me a little more about?
• Let me see if I understand
• Id be interested in hearing more about
• NOTE Why tends to elicit a defensive response

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Mediational Questions

• Mediational questions help the parent
• HYPOTHESIZE what might happen
• ANALYZE what worked or didnt
• IMAGINE possibilities
• EVALUATE the impact
• Some mediational question stems include
• Whats another way you might?
• What would it look like if?
• What do you think would happen if?

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Scenarios

• At your table, practice reflective conversation
  skills using the scenarios provided.
• Use the fishbowl technique.

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Web Resources for Working with Non-English-Speaki
ng Parents

• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• www.aft.org
• AFT helps teachers at state and local levels
  with collective bargaining, public relations and
  research. Areas of research include bilingual
  education. AFT-sponsored Learning Activities
  Hotline [phone]
• Involving Hispanic Parents in Their Childrens
  Education
• www.topher.net/spurgeon/
• Parents can play a significant role in helping
  their children succeed in American schools. This
  report includes suggested information for
  parents and constructive steps that educators can
  take.
• Model Strategies in Bilingual Education
• www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/used/familylit
• This report offers teachers and administrators
  examples of many strategies used to work with
  parents of students designated with Limited
  English Proficiency, profiling exemplary sites.
• Translation Search
• rivendel.com/ric/resources/dictionary.html
• When writing letters to parents, go to the Web
  for translation in the languages the parents
  speak. Some sites offer literal translations, so
  write the letter without any idioms that might
  cause confusion. Try this site for free online
  translations in many languages.
• Parental Involvement
• ericweb.tc.columbia.edu/abstracts/ed285400.html

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Possible Parent Web Sites New http//www.yahoolig
ans.com - This website gives you access to links
for Arts Entertainment, Computers Games,
Science Nature, Sports Recreation, School
Subjects and Cultures. New http//www.getsmarter
.org -  This site offers students, parents and
teachers a fun and free way to compare Math and
Science skills to other students worldwide.  It
provides interactive testing and then likes and
resources to help increase skills. New
http//www.EnchantedLearning.com/Home.html  -
Enchanted Learning produces children's
educational web sites and games which are
designed to capture the imagination while
maximizing creativity, learning, and enjoyment.
www.reading.org/links/index.html This is the
International Reading Associations website.
 http//pbskids.org/lions/index.html - Between
the Lions is produced by WGBH Boston and Sirius
Thinking, Ltd. and is funded in part by a Ready
To Learn grant from the US Department of
Education through the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting.  On this site you can read stories,
print the stories, play games, and learn songs. 
There is even a parent and teacher resource
section with over 300 tips on helping your child
read.  http//www.acs.ucalgary.ca/dkbrown/index
.html This website gives you access to links
specifically to help you find books for your
children.  You will find booklists that you can
browse to find books suitable for your children. 
At your fingertips, you will find access to books
that every child should read, 100 best picture
books, and also links to help you be creative in
your storytelling.  Plus, you have access to many
bestsellers list such as Barnes and Noble,
Borders, and the All-time Bestsellers list. This
is a must-use site.  http//www.ipl.org
This is the site for the Internet Public
Library.  You will not only have access to sites
for Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies,
but also Art, Nutrition, Fun and Games and Sports
and Recreation. --------------------------------
----------------------------------------
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www.scholastic.com offers many resources for
parents and students. Parents will have access to
articles from Scholastic News, Junior
Scholastic, Parent Child and other Scholastic
classroom magazines. Your children will be able
to play games and puzzles that extend from
stories they may have read. Children will also be
able to meet other students their age and see
what books they recommend for reading.
www.bigchalk.com offers a wide spectrum of
service and resources for parents and students.
Parents are provided support for school related
issues and it also focuses on Fathers roles in
education. Students have the opportunity to get
homework help for every subject. To encourage
struggling readers that like technology, they
will be able to read stories on-line.
www.m-w.com Merriam-Webster Online The
Language Center will help strengthen you childs
communication skills. You will have access to
the complete Merriam-Websters Collegiate
Dictionary and Collegiate Thesaurus. This will
help increase your childs vocabulary. This site
provides links to word games and allows your
child to even create their own words.
www.bookadventure.com will help your child
choose books to meet their level and interests.
There are more than 5,400 recommended book title
for children. We highly recommend this site!
http//www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/readinglist
.html California Reading List Web Site Reading is
important, both in and out of school . .
. Reading and literacy skills provide students
with the keys to lifelong learning. The more
students read, the better readers they will
become. Every effort should be made both at
school and at home to get students to do as much
reading as possible. http//www.scholastic.com/
smartparenting/schoolsuccess/ Scholastic Smart
Parenting Sucess at school and what to expect at
various grade levels. http//www.lexile.com
Check this site out...you can search for lexile
levels of any book your child is reading.
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http//www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0876084.html
Prime numbers Do you know what a prime number
is? Check out this site to see if you are
correct! http//www.sosmath.com/algebra/algebra.h
tml S.O.S. Math Algebra A review of every
imaginable Algebra concept is found at this site.
From complex numbers, factorization, quadratic
equations, to inverse functions, this site
provides detailed coverage on all of those topics
plus many more. http//www.scholastic.com/titles/
Scholastic Book Central Check out book titles
for your child's reading. http//www.factmonster
.com/homework/studyskills4.html Study
Skills-Getting ready for tests Check out this
link to assist you in getting ready for tests.
http//www.scholastic.com/smartparenting/schools
uccess/ Success At School How to help your child
succeed at school. http//www.eduplace.com/math/
mathsteps/5/b/index.html What is Prime
Factors/Prime Factorization, Etc... Check out
this site, Parents, it may help you to help your
student with these and other concepts...
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Communicating with Parents Websites www.4teacher
s.org/testimony/sumner/index.shtml This is a site
that shows an how an effective website can be
used as a way to communicate with
parents. www.teach-nology.com/ideas/parent_commun
ication/ This website gives you tried and true
tips on short and easy ways to communicate with
parents. www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educa
tionupclose.phtml/5 By forming effective
partnerships with parents, teachers can get a
boost in helping their students to succeed. This
article provides three essential strategies for
making these collaborations work.
www.inspiringteachers.com/tips/index/page10.html
This website offers all kinds of tips that other
beginning teachers have used to make
communicating with parents a positive
experience. www.education-world.com/tools_templat
es/index.shtmlparent Communicate with parents by
snail mail or e-mail with these editable and
printable forms and letters.
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www.glc.k12.ga.us/trc/cluster.asp?modebrowseintP
athID4628 This website has a list of Web
Resources in Parent Communication
teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/speakin
glanguage.htm This site recommends the following
7 strategies for successful teacher-parent
communication. teacher.scholastic.com/professiona
l/parentconf/ Scholastic resources to help you
establish rewarding partnerships during
parent-teacher conferences and throughout the
year. www.parrotpublishing.com/Inclusion_Chapter_
4.htm COLLABORATIVE TEACHINGSPECIAL EDUCATION
FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS PARTNERSHIPS WITH
PARENTS