Schools and teachers want to develop partnership with parents. Strong communication is fundamental to this partnership. So, teachers must continue to develop and expand skills required to build a strong partnership.
ParentTeacherCommunicationProfessional Development Program 2013H Dh. Atoll School & H Dh. Neykurendhoo School
Introduction 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 home and school. In these changing times, teachers must continue to develop and expand their skills in order to maximize effective communication with parents.
Objectives • To be aware of different communication approaches • To recognize how different communication approaches can strengthen or weaken teacher-family relations • To gain practice in employing different communication approaches in different circumstances
Why Communication isImportant? • Cultivating parent-teacher relationship is vital to to the development of school as a learning community. (Schussler, 2003) • Communicating with parents is critical for establishing parent-teacher relationship. (Epstein, 1995) • Parent-teacher communication is fundamental to involve families in education process.
Top 5 reasons why parent-teachercommunication is beneficial: • Increases trust between schools and families • Encourages higher and realistic parental expectations • Serves as the first step to other types of parent involvement to follow • Leads to a higher degree of parents’ commitment to helping their students improve • Puts everyone on the “same page”
What is PTC? • Communication may involve impressions created or words expressed. • Parents will be positively influenced by: – Welcome sign – Cleanliness of the school ground – Students art work on the wall – Sounds in the classrooms (Chambers, 1998)
What is PTC? • Expressed communication involves one-way or two-way exchange One-way communication Two-way communication Letters/ Newsletters Telephone calls Report cards Home visit Communication books Parent teacher conference Radio announcements Open houses School Web site School based community activity
Using Technology • Integrating technology can help schools communicate quickly to a broad parent community – Classroom phones & voice mail – Video technology – Radio announcement – School Web site
Parent-teacher communication centersaround five different topic areas: – academic performance, – classroom behavior, – childs academic and social preparation for school, – hostile communication between peers, and – health related issues. (Mazer and Thompson)
Barriers to Communication • Society Level Problem Solution Public is becoming estranged Every positive interaction will from public institutions serve to increase trust & build stronger relationship Schools are frequently the target of negative reports School needs to be a part of Brandt (1998) community. School has the advantage of being natural point of interaction.
Barriers to Communication • Society Level Problem Solution Cultural differences Seek out information to understand the cultural & linguistic diversity. Seek out interpreter service when & where needed. Incorporate faces of diversity into childrens literature
Barriers to Communication • Parent Level Problem Solution Parents own negative school Provide guidelines in checklist experience. format for managing their concern Parents may not understand how to effectively interact with Encourage parents to gather teacher/ school. information
Barriers to Communication • Parent Level Problem Solution Economic situation & time Understand parents schedule & constraints availability. Provide parents with information when and how to contact teacher. Home visits Provide child care option in school building during meetings.
Barriers to Communication • School Level Problem Solution Use of technical jargon Avoid technical/ educational jargons. Explain jargons and acronyms Audio messages for below literacy level
Communication is a process • Identifying the goal and reason for the communication. • Considering one’s audience. • Choosing a communication approach that opens rather than blocks a two-way conversation
Goal:Consider the content of your message Ask yourself: • What message do I want to convey? • What do I want to have happen as a result of this communication?
Audience Ask yourself: • Who am I talking with? • What is our degree of familiarity? • What style of communication am I comfortable with? How might it be different—or the same—than the family I am communicating with?
Approach • Instructing • Following-up • Asking for help • Revealing • Informally exchanging • Active Listening
Effective communicationstrategies involve: • Initiation: – Teachers should initiate contact as soon as they know which students will be in their classroom for the school year. Contact can occur by means of an introductory phone call or a letter to the home introducing yourself to the parents and establishing expectations.
Effective communicationstrategies involve: • Timeliness: – Adults should make contact soon after a problem has been identified, so a timely solution can be found. Waiting too long can create new problems, possibly through the frustration of those involved.
Effective communicationstrategies involve: • Follow-through: – Parents and teachers each want to see that the other will actually do what they say they will do.
Effective communicationstrategies involve: • Clarity and usefulness of communication: – Parents and teachers should have the information they need to help students, in a form and language that makes sense to them.
Effective communicationstrategies involve: • Consistency and frequency: – Parents want frequent, ongoing feedback about how their children are performing with homework.