How To Communicate With Parents. Turn Your Enemies into BFFs.

If you want to establish good communication with the parents of your students, call each one at the beginning of the year. Talk about his or her child and say some positive things. Having good communication with the parents is extremely important. When you have to call to report some type of negative behavior, it is much easier and acceptable. You surely do not want to start off the year with a negatively charged classroom!

You need to be positive in your reports to parents. As stated, you not only want, but need, good parent rapport. In writing notes to parents, try to use positive comments. Turn your statements around to your benefit.

How To Proceed

Use statements such as the following:

cooperative
willing
is strong in
has a good grasp of
is attempting
is striving
does a find job with
excels in
is making good progress

Avoid negative words and statements such as the following:

is not able
will never
won't
can't
doesn't
will seldom

With students who have behavioral or academic problems on which you need to comment, use statements such as the following:

needs help with
will need your help to
strives hard to
needs reinforcement
could profit from
sometimes finds it difficult

Do not just put down anything. Think before you write. Parents need to be kept informed of any problems. Be sure, however, that you have contacted the parent prior to progress report time. Do not surprise the parent. Parents have a right to know how their child is doing and where help is needed. As time consuming as it is, asking parents to come in to visit before or after school will pay off dividends in the end.

This article comes from a great book called ‘Year-Round Classroom Tips’ published by Teacher Created Resources. Article displayed by kind permission of Teacher Created Resources.