Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner!
They're a great meeting point to build relationships, but creating a home-school connection and working together to support student success can happen any time of year.
For Parents & Caregivers
Your child’s education is a team effort, and a home-school connection plays an important role in their school and life success. Open communication and mutually agreed upon goals can help caregivers and educators make shared decisions that most greatly benefit each student.
With the busyness of daily life, connecting with you child's teacher may feel like one more thing on your to-do list that you just can’t seem to get to. The good news is that even just small, regular interactions with your child’s teacher can make a significant impact. In addition to improved student academic achievement in school, research has shown that strong home-school collaboration and shared goals can lead students toward:
- more positive attitudes about school and learning
- higher self-concept and confidence
- regular attendance
- increased participation in school community
- improved personalization and active support for individual needs
- more positive relationships with peers and adults
- joint efforts to proactively address concerns
For ideas on what you can do as a caregiver to engage around your child's education and maximize relationships with your child's teachers, check out some of the resources below.
For Educators
As we head into the season of parent-teacher conferences, we begin to think about how best to welcome caregivers and students into a space of open communication and shared decision making.
Conferences can be a stressful time for both students and caregivers. Students carry anxiety over their testing and grades. Along with concerns about grades and behavior, caregivers can carry lingering anxiety from their own school experiences. Being aware of and sensitive to the experiences of caregivers and students can help us prepare for the season in ways that make the conference experience more welcoming. Try one or more of these ideas:
- Encourage students to take ownership of their conferences by transitioning to a student-led model. By focusing on goal-setting and maintaining a growth mindset, students are empowered to take ownership of the process.
- Avoid using education lingo that can be confusing for people not working in the field. Will caregivers know what you mean by do now, IEP, growth-mindset, SEL, formative assessment, etc? By avoiding acronyms and explaining unfamiliar concepts, you can help everyone feel like an equal member of the team.
- Offer a path for success. You don’t want a struggling student to leave feeling defeated. Instead, clearly explain what concrete steps can be taken to improve and how caregivers can support the process.
- Create a space in your classroom to entertain siblings. Childcare can be expensive and inaccessible for many families, and we don’t want caregivers to feel unwelcome if they need to bring siblings along. Instead, designate a table or two for quiet entertainment. Coloring pages, quiet toys, or even playdough can be great options for easily entertaining little hands and minds.
- Arrange translation services. English is not everyone’s first language, and failing to connect with caregivers due to a language barrier would be unfortunate. Consider providing written communication in multiple languages and asking your school to hire a translator during conferences to overcome any language barriers.
For additional ideas on what you can do as an educator to foster relationships with your student's caregivers, check out some of the resources below.
Resources from PBS KIDSand PBS Teachers:
Better Together: Building Strong Parent-Teacher Relationships 1 Hour Video
Parents and educators share ideas on how to come together to help kids learn and grow throughout the school year.
How to Get Involved in Your Child’s Learning at School 5 Minute Read
Fostering an inclusive home and school community takes intentional effort on the part of families and teachers. Here are five parenting strategies to help parents and caregivers along the way.
Creating an Inclusive Home and School Community 5 Minute Read
Your child's education is a team effort! Here are three ways you can stay involved in your child's learning success throughout the school year.
The Parent-Teacher Partnership 5 Minute Read
“A positive parent-teacher relationship helps your child feel good about school," says Diane Levin, Ph.D., a professor of education at Wheelock College. Try these four strategies to build a strong relationship with your child’s teacher.
Authentic Family Partnerships 5 Minute Video
Understanding a family’s community, cultures, values, and lived experiences is important for supporting your students’ social, emotional and academic development. Use this video for tips on how to create authentic family partnerships.
Getting to Know You Printable for Educators
Need help forming relationships with your students' grown-ups? Use these printables to start building effective, two-way communication with your students and their families. (Grades: PreK-2)
Connecting with Families Free Self-Paced Learning for PreK-2 Educators
To fully support a child's development, strong communication between educator and family is the key. In this professional development experience, we’ll look at effective strategies for using technology to enhance communication with families.
