Important Interactions - How To Communicate Effectively With Parents






Parent teacher conferences are very stressful situations, especially when an educator has an issue to bring up to the parents regarding their child. If not handled properly, miscommunications may occur, which may leave both parties with a mistrust for each other, hindering the child's development. 

As shown from the above video, here are some tips for conducting a simple meeting with parents. 

1. Body language. Use encouraging words and positive body language to make the parent feel comfortable. Maintain eye contact and adopt a soft approach. 

2. Set the meeting up for success. Let the parent know ahead what time the meeting is, so that they can mentally and physically prepare themselves before meeting you. 

3. Use a sandwich method by providing positive, negative, then positive feedback. This helps to start and end off the conversation on a good note, as people respond more positively to positive feedback than negative ones. 

The Art of (Really) Listening


As teachers, we are so busy with our jobs that we are thinking of many things at once when doing one thing. That is why we tend to miss out on things that are less prominent, such as body language and actions. 

This might be why we are less able to detect problems or things that parents want to tell us. If we take the time to really listen, we will learn something as the messages are really quite prominent. 

Our society is undergoing rapid social change, so in order to get to know the children whom we are teaching in our classrooms, we need to understand not only what they know academically, but about their life at home and what they go through everyday.

As our children are still young, most of them are not able to tell us, so the next best way is to listen to their parents. 

According to Lisa Delpit (1995), "Parents are not only 'experts on their own lives', but also experts on the lives of their children (pp. 46-47)".

By bringing both the teacher's expertise and the parents' guidance, then there is more common ground to support the children's learning. 

Here are a few steps to get you started: 
1. Discard old assumptions about children and their families. If you start with a biased opinion, you are most likely to base anything and everything the parents or child says on that bias. 

2. Make your classroom an inviting place. By ensuring your classroom is a clean and comfortable place, it encourages parents to open up more. 

3. Listen. Sometimes, parents just come to us for a listening ear. By providing them with an outlet, you can learn more about the child's life at home. By listening with openness and sincerity, you can develop a trusting relationship with parents which can make collaborating with them easier. 

In conclusion, when parents and teachers collaborate effectively, children are most likely to benefit and succeed (National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, n.d.). Hence, teachers should learn the art of good listening. 

References
Delpit, L. (1995). Other people's children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: New Press.
Loftis, B. (2011, May 1). How to (Really) Listen to Parents. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may11/vol68/num08/How-to-(Really)-Listen-to-Parents.aspx
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education. (n.d.) Research review and resources. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved fromwww.ncpie.org/WhatsHappening/researchJanuary2006.cfm.

Why is listening so important? 

The Importance of Trust in Working Relationships




There are a few fundamental basis of communication that differs it from being successful or mediocre. Trust, mutual understanding and respect root itself deeply in an effective communication (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 2004). 
To understand why these basis are so important we look into the perspective of the one we want to communicate effectively with; parents.
There are all sorts of parents; from the parent that ask a question daily each time they send and fetch their child to school, to the parent that comes into the principal office demanding for explanations. They all have one thing in common, is their concern for their child that seemingly has exceeded everything else. They place their utmost precious person in the hands of strangers (educators) they have barely known. Some parents might have the chance to interact with the educators for the first three days or first week of school when they get the opportunity to enter the classroom to observe class. 
However, the issue is in that short time spend, how much will parents get to know about this stranger that will be with their child for almost a quarter or half of the day. Hence, when issues about the child occur in class, parents can be quick to be defensive and cynical.
Parents do not necessary have to find out everything about the educator. To be able to see a common goal is key to a two-way communication. In this case, it would be to place the child’s interest as priority (Gustafson, 1998). It is important for educators to take the initiative to allow a trusting relationship to develop. To do so, educators can show parents that they are concern about the children as well and they do not just teach. 


How do we show parents that educators are concerned about their child as well?


How do we show parents that educators are concerned about their child as well?
The solution is not getting educators to spend a crazy amount of time with parents and create get-to-know each other gatherings. Parents will question the amount of time for educator’s ability to spend free time with them and not focusing on investing into their children.
According to Susan (n.d.), a well-accepted strategy to communicate with parents is through phone calls. This does not refer to just phone calls to parents only when the child is in trouble. Educators have every right to catch opportunities of children doing well and give compliments of those moments. Hence, they can convey this compliment to parents through a phone call. By doing so, it does not just tell parents how their child is performing in class but also how much the educator has paid attention to the child. 
For parents they are not as receptive or are pretty busy, educators can drop a text regarding how well the child has perform. These small steps of calling and texting help foster a mutual understanding that both the educator and the parent wish good for the child (Gustafson, 1998). However, it is important to note that educators should not be quick to try to win the parents favor. 
All compliments should be rooted with truth. This is so as in the long run, parents can also determine whether those compliments are shown in the child back at home. With commitment and consistency, trust is form with the parent when the educator is truthful and respectful in treating their child.  
This encourages a healthy and positive relationship with the parent (Love, 1996). In an optimistic atmosphere, parents will be more likely to listen to educators when issues occur in school. Also, allow and create opportunities for future collaborations with supportive parents too (Ramirez, 2002).

References 
Gustafson, C. (1998). Phone home. Educational Leadership, 56(2), 31-32.
Love, F. E. (1996). Communicating with parents: What beginning teachers can do. College Student Journal, 30(4), 440-444.
Susan, G. (n.d.). Communicating with Parents: Strategies for Teachers. Retrieved September 1, 2014, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ794819.pdf
Ramirez, A. Y. (2002). How parents are portrayed among educators.The School Community Journal, 12(2), 51-61.

How to avoid miscommunication?


How to avoid miscommunication?The practice of good listening is vital. By listening, educators can let parents know that they genuinely care and show interest in what they are trying to convey. With active listening, intended messages will less likely be distorted. 

When in doubt or to clarify uncertainties, educators can paraphrase what they heard from parents to confirm if they are getting the right message.

"Always be tactful with parents. Think and plan what you are going to say to them, and how. Never be confrontational" (Scholastics Inc, 2014).

Face-to-face conversations are highly preferred especially when the message is important. Phone conversations work almost as well if parents are not available to meet up. Written communications lack the personal touch which shows the absence of sincerity, and can be often misinterpreted. 

References 
Scholastic Inc. (2014). Communicating with parents and families. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/communicating-parents-and-families

Why is Communication so Important?



"Research shows that children do better in school when parents talk often with teachers and become involved i?n the school" (University of Illinois Board of Trustees, 2014).


 All parents want the best for their children. However, they may not know where to start, when to find the time, or how to go about making positive connections with the school.

Educators can suggest a few communication tools to parents in order to increase accessibility to parents. For the presence of good parent-teacher relationships, there has to be mutual trust and respect. It can be built in time, with consistency and collaboration.

In order to establish a solid support system for children, it crucial for educators and parents to communicate. This allows children the opportunity to reach their maximum potential both in and outside the classroom.


References 
University of Illinois Board of Trustees. (2014). Helping children succeed in school. Retrieved from http://urbanext.illinois.edu/succeed/lovelearn.cfm