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How To Communicate Effectively With Parents

It can be challenging to know how to communicate effectively with parents as teachers. This is especially true for new teachers who may lack experience and potentially confidence. Effective communication between the teacher and the parents creates a supportive environment for better learning and development among students. Building strong ties with parents helps teachers ensure students are supported both at home and school. This article will highlight ways teachers can communicate effectively with parents to ensure the best educational outcomes for students.

Regular Communication

A common question new teachers ask is how to improve communication with parents. Regular communication is important to keep parents informed and involved in their child's education. Establishing a routine for updating them is crucial. These are a few of the ways teachers can ensure regular communication with parents.

  1. Sending newsletters to parents helps to keep them informed about what is happening with their children and their school. Newsletters often contain details of classroom activities, important dates, and any upcoming events so parents can prepare.
  2. You could also consider setting up regularly scheduled meetings with parents to address the student's progress and any concerns and set goals for future improvement. These meetings are a major part of the communication process, allowing deep discussions that provide insight into the child's academic and social development.
  3. Personalised communication may be very effective in discussing specific issues or achievements. Regular emails and phone calls help maintain a continuous dialogue between teachers and parents, ensuring that minor concerns are addressed promptly before they become significant issues.

Regular updates in whichever form you choose can keep parents informed and involved in their child's education, creating a sense of collaboration. This consistency in communication also helps build trust, where parents feel reassured that they are being kept in the loop about their child's progress and any challenges they might face.

Digital Tools

Technology is often underused in UK schools, but it can help bridge the gap in communication with parents. There are lots of digital tools and platforms that can be used for effective and timely communication. Have a look at our favourites below and see if you could use any at your school:

  1. School portals: Many schools have an online portal where teachers can post homework assignments, grades, and attendance. These portals provide a centralised location where parents can access key information about their child's education. By giving parents access, they can check their child's progress themselves.
  2. Mobile apps: School communication apps are useful in sending instant updates and reminders to parents. Most of these apps include messaging, event calendars, and notices that make communication between teachers and parents easier.
  3. Social media: Some schools share announcements, photos of classroom activities, and other updates through social media. Social media can be an excellent avenue to keep parents updated and involved in school activities.

Digital tools make it easier for parents to stay engaged with the education of their children, even amidst busy schedules. This also allows for faster communication that may be very essential in solving urgent problems or sharing information that is time sensitive.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is an essential skill for teachers . Teachers should listen actively to understand the concerns and perspectives of the parents. To do this, it is important to follow our key tips below:

  1. Make sure that you are fully present in the conversation and not distracted. This shows parents that you are open to their opinions and interested in what they say.
  2. Being empathetic shows that you understand and share the parents' feelings and concerns. Empathy helps build a good rapport with parents; they feel that they are being heard and understood.
  3. Ask questions to ensure you understand the parents' perspective and their questions and problems. This can also reveal hidden issues that you are not aware of.
  4. Let the parents know their contribution is valued and wanted. Future meetings may become more constructive and positive, and the parents will feel more confident in expressing their problems and solutions.
  5. When communicating with parents, be clear and concise. Do not use educational jargon or terminology that might confuse them. Use simple language and straight-to-the-point ideas.
  6. The purpose of your communication should be clearly stated, and what is to be achieved. For example, instead of 'Your child is struggling,' one can say, 'I have noted that your child has been having some problems with the multiplication tables.”
  7. Keep your communication short not to overwhelm a parent with too much information. Consider breaking down all the information into a series of more manageable pieces.

Constructive Criticism

While discussing the student's performance with the parents, feedback must be constructive; this can be a difficult topic to discuss. It is important to discuss this in the correct way with parents. Divide this discussion into different parts, start with their strengths, then move into important points and finish with the support that you and the parents can provide to the student. Below, we go into more detail on how to communicate better with parents when giving constructive criticism:

  1. Strengths observed: This shows how the student has reached his goals and what areas he excels in. Positive feedback helps develop a student's confidence and encourages him to work harder.
  2. Areas requiring improvement:Discuss areas where the student needs extra help or improvement. State clearly what needs to be improved and suggest ways to achieve it.
  3. Offering support and resources: Lastly, offer some suggestions and resources that will help the student improve. This may be in the form of extra practice materials, giving advice on study strategies, or finding resources for extra help. Involve parents by giving them ways to help their child at home.

Constructive feedback informs parents of their child's progress and how they may assist them further in their learning. It also ensures a focus on growth and improvement, not just deficiencies.

Build Trust and Relationships

Effective communication involves building strong, trusting relationships with parents. This can be achieved through consistency and reliability, meaning doing what you say you will do. Consistency builds trust, and parents learn they can depend on you.

Showing respect and understanding means treating parents with respect and trying to see things from their perspective. Respectful communication creates a positive relationship and promotes teamwork. Ensure you are approachable and available to answer questions, or address concerns the parents may have. Being approachable helps create an open, welcoming atmosphere where parents feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

Trust and strong relationships create an enabling environment for both students and teachers. In trusting relationships, parents and teachers communicate openly, and problems are solved jointly.

What Next

Learning how to communicate effectively with parents is an essential aspect of being a good teacher. These strategies will help you establish good relationships with parents and provide the students with the best support at school and home. The key to understanding how to communicate better with parents lies in establishing regular communication, using digital tools, having effective communication skills, providing constructive feedback, and fostering good relationships. Each of these actions helps to create an excellent and healthy relationship.

We hope you have found this article helpful and that it has given you some ideas on how to communicate effectively with parents as teachers. If you’re looking for a position as a teacher or need to recruit a teacher for your school, Senploy can help!

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