Three Ways to Nurture Effective Parent-Teacher Communication

Effective communication between parents and teachers is essential to developing a full understanding of a student's character and ways of learning.  It's also a two-way street.  Here are three things teachers and parents should each keep in mind when engaging in this all-important endeavor:

For Teachers:

1. Strive to demonstrate to each parent the depth of your understanding of his or her child.  
2. Communicate with parents frequently and early about rising concerns.  Don't wait for crises, and don't be afraid to share good news.
3. Ask questions of parents that show your desire to understand their children through their eyes.

For Parents:

1. Trust that your child's teacher cares about your child and has his or her best interest at heart.
2. Reach out to your child's teacher with questions rather than demands.  Seek to learn about your child through the teacher's experience of him or her.
3. Actively listen to your child's teacher with an ear to understanding your child's strengths and challenges.

Each of these ideas only scratch the surface of the very complex dynamic that exists between parents and teachers.  It is a relationship filled with anxiety, hope, and enormous potential for affecting your child's growth and development.  Following these guidelines can help to set a productive context for dialog and increases the chance of a successful partnership. Educator, psychologist, and author, Michael Thompson, offers a compelling analysis of this relationship in his article entitled, The Fear Equation, which I highly recommend.  Here's a closing thought from his article:

Children flourish when the adults in their lives agree on them.  Children do not have strong identities of their own.  They see themselves through the eyes of the adults who love and teach them.  For that reason it is important that the adults in their lives see them in a unified way.  If parents and teachers are on the same page with respect to children, it is much easier for the children to feel whole and understood, and to succeed.  That is why it is essential that parents and teachers move beyond the fears that afflict their relationship and create a sturdy alliance between them.