Communicating with Parents: Strategies for Teachers

Abstract

Abstract Teachers strive to establish partnerships with parents to support student learning. Strong communication is fundamental to this partnership and to building a sense of community between and school. In these changing times, teachers must continue to develop and expand their skills in order to maximize effective communication with parents. This article presents a range of communication opportunities available to teachers, including the emerging use of technology. Some of these practical suggestions may seem very basic to those already actively promoting parental involvement, but unfortunately, many teachers have not been trained in nor are they practicing proactive communication with parents. Barriers to effective communication are considered in conjunction with potential solutions. Key Words: parent involvement, teacher-parent relationships, school-home partnerships, communication Introduction In today's society, schools and parents are responding to increased expectations, economic pressures, and time constraints. In these changing times, effective partnerships between teachers and parents become even more essential to meet the needs of the children they share. Indeed, Epstein (1995) describes communicating with parents as one of six major types of parent involvement practices critical to establishing strong working relationships between teachers and parents. Cultivating the teacher-parent relationship is also considered vital to the development of schools as learning communities (Schussler, 2003). Unfortunately, many teachers are not specifically trained in the skills they need to communicate effectively with parents (Hradecky, 1994; Lawrence- Lightfoot, 2004). Because school communication practices are so fundamental to involving families in the education process, Caspe (2003) suggests that teacher preparation and professional development programs should actively promote the development of communication skills for teachers. The goal of this article is to outline a range of communication opportunities and strategies to maximize partnerships with parents. Barriers to effective communication are also considered, as well as potential solutions. Avenues of Communication Communication may involve impressions created or words expressed. In fact, communication begins with the welcome sign when the parent first enters the school building (Chambers, 1998). Welcome signs reflecting the range of ethnic languages spoken in the school community create an even more inviting atmosphere (Lai & Ishiyama, 2004). The next impression may be the smile or, conversely, lack of acknowledgement by office staff. Parents may also be positively influenced by the cleanliness of the school grounds, student artwork on the walls, and the sounds in the hallway. A customer-friendly school environment reflects how highly communication with parents is valued by school staff (Chambers, 1998). Expressed communication involves one-way or two-way exchanges (Berger, 1991). One-way communication occurs when teachers seek to inform parents about events, activities, or student progress through a variety of sources, such as an introductory letter at the beginning of the school year, classroom or school newsletters, report cards, communication books, radio announcements, school Web sites, and so on. Two-way communication involves interactive dialogue between teachers and parents. Conversations may occur during telephone calls, visits, parent-teacher conferences, open houses, and various school-based community activities. Teachers should actively incorporate both strategies to maximize sharing information with parents. One-Way Communication communication is probably the most efficient and effective way we can provide valuable ongoing correspondence between school and home (Williams & Cartledge, 1997, p. 30). Written communication is a permanent product that requires careful consideration regarding format and content. …

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