6 Tips for Communicating with Parents
Amy SheppardAmy Sheppard
Articles by Amy
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What I Wish I Knew About Parent Communication as a New Teacher
Published: Jul 19, 2021
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6 Tips for Communicating with Parents
Published: Jul 09, 2021
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The Power of Positive Parent Communication
Published: Jun 28, 2021
Communicating with parents can be intimidating to new teachers and veteran teachers alike. I was no exception to that. But after having been a teacher for a while, I learned some of the ins and outs of communicating with parents.
From my experience, there are three main types of parent communications. The first type is positive communications, like sending emails, texts, or phone calls home about good things. The second type is when you have to let a parent know about a concern or issue you’re seeing. And the third, and probably the hardest one, is handling communications coming from parents that are upset.
While there isn’t necessarily a template for these communications, I do think you develop your own style for dealing with different situations. I am personally aversive to confrontation, but other people are extremely direct and prefer to face things head on. It’s not so much as a template as it is an approach that feels right for you. There is a way to communicate that will feel more natural to you that will make you come across more genuine and authentic.
Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way:
Being proactive also comes in handy when communicating about a change you notice in a student. Don’t wait until a student is really struggling to reach out. Read more about being proactive with positive communications here.
I’ve had students lose housing and are sleeping on the floor. We don’t always know about these things, so I try my best to never assume, even when all my buttons are pushed. You can let the parents know you’re concerned or that you’ve noticed a change in their child. You can also ask if there is anything you can do to help or if there is a time they’d like to meet to chat about how to best support their student.
This helps build relationships. Keep in mind that you’re not going to be able to get all students to come and participate. Unfortunately, it’s not like the movies where a struggling student all of a sudden starts caring and turns everything around. The best you can do is extend an offer to support them and make it known that you want to help. Sometimes they will take it and sometimes they won’t. Offering assistance goes a long way.
From my experience, there are three main types of parent communications. The first type is positive communications, like sending emails, texts, or phone calls home about good things. The second type is when you have to let a parent know about a concern or issue you’re seeing. And the third, and probably the hardest one, is handling communications coming from parents that are upset.
While there isn’t necessarily a template for these communications, I do think you develop your own style for dealing with different situations. I am personally aversive to confrontation, but other people are extremely direct and prefer to face things head on. It’s not so much as a template as it is an approach that feels right for you. There is a way to communicate that will feel more natural to you that will make you come across more genuine and authentic.
Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way:
- Be proactive.
Being proactive also comes in handy when communicating about a change you notice in a student. Don’t wait until a student is really struggling to reach out. Read more about being proactive with positive communications here.
- Build trust with parents.
- Make time for parents to chat.
- Be honest and kind – that’s the most important.
- Don’t make assumptions.
I’ve had students lose housing and are sleeping on the floor. We don’t always know about these things, so I try my best to never assume, even when all my buttons are pushed. You can let the parents know you’re concerned or that you’ve noticed a change in their child. You can also ask if there is anything you can do to help or if there is a time they’d like to meet to chat about how to best support their student.
This helps build relationships. Keep in mind that you’re not going to be able to get all students to come and participate. Unfortunately, it’s not like the movies where a struggling student all of a sudden starts caring and turns everything around. The best you can do is extend an offer to support them and make it known that you want to help. Sometimes they will take it and sometimes they won’t. Offering assistance goes a long way.
- Practice compassion.