Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools. Families and guardians are incredibly important parts of a student’s overall learning. Families should be encouraged to be active participants in their child’s learning, and we as educators are responsible for fostering this relationship. We as educators are required to communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents/guardians. Engaging with students’ parents/guardians can go a long way in helping them get involved with their children’s learning. Emailing parents about their children and keeping them updated on their progress are a few ways to do this. Parents/guardians are similar to our students in the sense that they too are unique individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we need to keep that in mind and acknowledge that fact. Often times parents will know their children better than the teacher ever will so there needs to be a healthy dialogue and partnership between teachers, parents, and students, with a goal of fostering the best educational experience possible for the student.
During my first practicum at DP Todd, I was able to take part in their parent teacher night. This was a really cool experience as I got to see and hear from many parents and learn about their expectations for their children. During these short talks, my coaching teacher provided the parents/guardians with a quick overview of their children’s grades and how they are progressing. Maintaining a positive attitude was important especially when dealing with students who may not always be on their best behaviour. My coaching teacher did a good job of always starting with the positive things they have seen from the students and then slowly worked at mentioning things that they could work on in the future. Creating a dialogue between teachers and parents will positively benefit everyone involved. We need to work as a team and make sure that student’s success is at the forefront of everything that we do. Parents trust teachers to keep their kids safe and provide them with an education that will set the foundations for their future success.
