What do parents think about the teachers of their children? What do they want to know about us? Finding the answers, I believe can help foster good home-school relationships.
Parents and teachers are the best partners in educating a child. With the love and support of parents, teachers find the best foundation to help the child excel and succeed. This highlights the importance of parent-teacher communication. That I inquired, “What do parents want to know from teachers?”
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For parents to better understand the education process, they must be informed about things that pertain to their child’s education. Hence, they have to be updated and well-informed.
First of all, as teachers, we should treasure the trust and confidence parents give us as they entrust their children to us. And so we are remarkably responsible to teach their children. For this reason, we need to acknowledge our best support team – the parents.
With clear and consistent communication, parents are updated on what’s happening in the school, especially in the learning space.
But what should parents know?
What Do Parents Want to Know from Teachers?
As parents invested in the education of their children, they have the right to know about matters concerning the school and the classroom. Also, well-informed parents are a strong manifestation of our strong connections and positive relationships with them.
Hence, as teachers, we should involve the parents in the education of the child. Inform them of the following things and recognize their importance in the provision of quality education for their children.
What every parent should know from us?
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1. We want parents to know how we support student learning.
As empowered teachers, we are doing everything we can, to make students learn and develop skills that will prepare them for life. We always make ourselves available for the optimal growth and well-being of our students.
Even in today’s health crisis, we make ways to continue to support student learning even at a distance.
For that, we make a plan to make learning exciting and engaging. We put on our creativity cap to make lessons interesting and to bring about positive interaction in the classroom so we apply the best teaching pedagogies.
And the best part is that we are designing impactful learning activities that will involve the parents so they have the opportunities to monitor the academic achievement of their children in the classroom.
It begins from crafting our lesson plans to the execution of the lesson to achieve clear and measurable learning objectives. And if there are take-home activities for independent learning, we should inform the parents by writing instructions in the communication notebook.
As we see, parent involvement in learning is a crucial factor in academic achievement and successful student learning. And when students feel the support of their parents through the completion of assignments, they are more motivated to perform better in their studies.
But, don’t get me wrong. When I say parents helping their children to finish their projects, it doesn’t mean they are the ones to make it. They are just to guide their children in doing projects and to help them meet academic goals.
2. We want parents to know that we are creating a safe learning space.
Usually, upon enrollment or at the beginning of the school year, parents are given the best chance to peek into the classrooms of their children. Or they are invited to a parent-teacher conference for the orientation. It should be.
With that, we can take this as an opportunity to let parents know that we are doing our best to create a positive and safe learning space. That we take care of the physical arrangements and structuring of the classroom before the first day of classes so their children will be comfortable and productive.
It’s a way of setting the tone for building parental confidence for us and for the school.
And, gladly, I know that we own that potential of building a safe and appropriately structured learning space. It’s one of the key components to increasing student engagement and making parents self-assured that their children are in good hands.
Creating an optimal learning environment is our responsibility for it should be manifested in how we accommodate our students and how we make preparations for them.
Our students must feel comfortable in the learning environment to heighten academic achievement and improve their behavior. Once the parents see that we are really taking time to prepare and to make the classroom a safe space for learning, ultimately, we’ll have their trust and confidence.
3. We want parents to know that we are encouraging positive connections.
Building positive communication avenues with parents is an excellent way to magnify parent engagement. When we do this, parents feel that we recognize their support for their children and that we concede to their roles as co-facilitators of learning.
By informing them of the progress and the activities of their children in school, we are making parents get involved in the education of their children. And they will feel happy about that.
Strong communication channels, whether written, verbal, or on Social Media such as Facebook messenger, serve as an open line, reaching out to parents to inform them about their children.
On the other hand, parents also have something very important to share about their children that we might know. The background we can get can be the best foundation for knowing the children under our care. The more we know our students, the more we understand them, and the more effective we are in our teaching strategies.
All in all, it begins with encouraging connections with the parents.
4. We want parents to know that we have set clear and consistent expectations.
In order for the parents to monitor their children’s progress and school activities, we’ve got to let them know that we set clear and consistent expectations in the classroom. We can explain it to them or send them additional resources so they can also assist their children at home to extend classroom learning. This is most beneficial if you are utilizing blended learning, for example.
They should know that we are differentiating instructions and that we are providing varied learning activities for their children. It can also strengthen the parent-teacher relationship.
The best avenue to share student expectations is during the parent-teacher conference.
Therefore, as teachers, we should encourage parents to attend parent-teacher conferences which should be done every quarter or as the need arises.
Another way is to invite parents to attend important school activities so they can witness how their children perform and how they have improved.
Moreover, when parents are aware of what is expected of their children in school, they know where to begin, and in practice, they can also set goals for their children. And this makes them our best partners in educating their children.
It’s always best to let them know academic and behavior expectations in the classroom so they can also guide their children and monitor their performance.
5. We want parents to know that we are helping children develop their own academic goals.
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Again, you can inform parents about your teaching goals during meetings and conversations, or you can send an email or give them phone calls. If some parents won’t be able to attend conferences, we should find ways of reaching out to them so they will have a clear picture of what will happen to their children in school.
As we let them know that we care very much for their children and that we are looking forward to their success, parents will be expecting their children to study hard and that they should maintain focus and engagement in their studies.
Even when the process gets difficult, knowing that parents are aware of your good intentions for their children, they can also guide them at home and provide the needed support.
And when students feel the ultimate support of their parents, they are most likely to become persevering and resilient to become independent learners.
I know that sometimes our learning activities are confusing to parents that they would complain. However, through consistent communication, we can let them understand that every activity in the classroom is for the growth and welfare of their children so they can have autonomy in learning.
6. We want parents to know that we are helping children become lifelong learners.
Not only should we tell parents that we want their children to succeed, but we should make our impactful teaching goals very evident. By making plans for developing 21st-century skills in children, we should see to it that the parents are aware of what’s happening in the classroom.
They should understand the learning process so they won’t be appalled every time their children are asking for guidance for the completion of certain tasks. Make them understand that you need them and that your partnership should flourish for children to thrive in the classroom and become lifelong learners.
So, if we need to conduct remedial classes and interventions for children, parents should understand all these things so they won’t be griping. Again, the process should involve open communication with the parents, especially parents who find it difficult to attend conferences due to some personal issues.
We should be open to other means of communication, especially to low-income families who can’t visit the school for transportation issues.
7. We want parents to know that we respect them as the “first teachers” of their children.
Parents are the first teachers of their children. We are second parents. That is why they ought to become our best partners in educating their children. Basically, they know what’s best for their children so they are sending them to school and entrusting their gems to us as teachers.
Over the years, I have met parents who wholeheartedly expressed their immense support for the education of their children. They are always in attendance every time there are meetings and school activities.
And by having informal conversations with them, I learned so many things like how they work for discipline and good values. I am happy to know that there are parents who have been good teachers to their children. With that, it’s easier for me to inculcate good values and develop students’ skills.
Knowing that I have the best partners in giving quality education to my students, I am more confident in realizing my teaching goals to amplify successful academic achievement.
8. We want parents to know the school policies, grading system, and classroom norms.
By keeping parents informed about matters concerning the education of their children, we are also confident that they understand the education process.
If we are to strengthen parent partnerships in education, we have to take the time to inform them about the school policies, the grading system, and the class norms. With a clear understanding, parents are also guided on how to extend their best support to their children.
Parents should understand how their children can excel in the classroom and how they can perform better. Remember the academic success of our students is not our responsibility alone. They have their “first teachers” who have introduced them to the world.
Besides, the parents invested in the education of their children, so they have the utmost right to know the education process. When they are aware of the school policies and how their children are graded, they understand what’s going on and won’t be complaining about things, and won’t build distrust towards the school.
Accordingly, when parents are well-informed, they are most aware of the partnership we build which in turn helps children aim for success and increase their capacity for growth.
9. We want parents to know that we support “parent engagement.”
When parents are keenly involved in the education of their children and not just about monetary support, children will be more inspired to study and gain resilience in achieving their academic goals. They are most likely to succeed in the learning environment and learn valuable skills if they are aware that parents and teachers form a good team.
At certain times, we really need the attendance and presence of parents to build students’ self-esteem and cheer them up. Inviting them to school activities will make children more motivated to work at their best and realize their potential.
Our invitation and our appreciation to the parents are the basis of how we acknowledge parent engagement in the education process.
10. We want parents to know that we are dedicated and committed teachers.
Parents should know that we are dedicated and committed teachers. Do we have to tell them that we are? Well, words won’t be enough as actions speak louder than mere words. Our actions should tell parents and students that we love what we do.
It won’t be enough to tell them, ” Hello dear parents, I have been in the teaching profession for years now and I am committed to my mission.”
Well, you have to do what it takes to be a dedicated and committed teacher. You have to help the students who are struggling. And you have to celebrate your student’s achievements.
Conclusion
Parents should know that we appreciate their best time and support for the academic status and behavior improvement of their children.
Besides, knowing that teaching is highly demanding, we really need the extreme support of parents. Hence, building strong relationships begins by making them know about important things.
Being aware of our appreciation, parents are more inspired to extend their support and guidance to their children which highly impacts academic achievement and success.
And letting parents know about the important matters given above and what they should expect from you can make a difference. Notably, this can also make us and the parents on the same page with regard to the education of their children.
What else do you want your parents to know from you?
