Creating Meaningful Parent-Teacher Partnerships
Presented by Mary Louise Silva, Director of Parent & Community Engagement
[email protected](213) 943-4930 ext. 1011 or (818) 439-1271
What has been your past experience working with parents?
• What was the outcome?
• What would you do differently or the same?
Workshop Goal:
• Provide teachers with research-based strategies to establish meaningful partnerships with parents.
• Provide tools for TCRP Domain 4.4.
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Expected Outcomes:
You will learn:
1. Why the parent-teacher relationship is important
2. What the ideal teacher/parent partnership looks like
3. How to overcome barriers
4. Ways to open lines of communication with parents
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Parent Involvement = Student Success
• Higher grades and test scores
• Improved attendance
• Better social skills
• More likely to graduate from high school and go on
to college
Review:Parent Engagement & Parent Involvement
What do the words mean to you?
When schools engage parents, parents become involved!
• Parent Engagement is a phrase used to describe the work of schools and organizations as they engage parents to become involved in their child’s education.
• Parent Involvement is a phrase used to describe how parents participate at home and in their child’s education.
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Alliance Core Values:
1. High expectations for all students2. Small, personalized schools and classrooms3. Increased instructional time4. Highly qualified principals and teachers
5. WORKING WITH PARENTS AS PARTNERS
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Alliance Parent Engagement Model:
40-HOUR ANNUAL
VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT
1. School Support
2. Academic Support
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TCRP - Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
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4.4Develop two-way communication with families about student learning and achievement
a) Initiation of meaningful communication
b) Responsiveness to parent inquiries and communication
c) Inclusion of the family as a partner in learning decisions
Level III
Research has proven….• When parents and teachers work together, everyone benefits.
– Students tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, attend school more regularly, have better behavior, show more positive attitudes toward themselves and toward school.
• Teacher morale improves.• Teachers are free to focus on the task of teaching.• Parents are more involved in their child’s school experience.
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Its not always clear to families and schools how to form meaningful parent-teacher partnerships (beyond parent-teacher conferences, Back to School Night and Open House) to support student learning.
What needs to happen first?
Teachers and parents need to embrace certain attributes and behaviors.
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Attributes that support meaningful partnerships:
Teachers:• Warmth• Openness• Sensitivity• Flexibility• Reliability• Accessibility
Parents:• Warmth • Sensitivity• Nurturance• Ability to listen• Consistency• Personal competence
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Teacher behavior that leads to successful family-school partnerships:
• Model respect and communication skills
• Promote teamwork philosophy
• Show genuine interest
• Positive attitude
• Respond to parents concerns
• Share expectations
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What does a meaningful parent-teacher partnership look like?
Parent-teacher partnerships occur when:• Teachers value the role of “parents as teachers” and believe
that learning occurs at home and at school
• Parents respect and regard teachers as a “second parent”
• Learning is regarded as a shared responsibility
• Teachers and parents reach out to one another to get to know each other informally
• Teachers and parents commit to working together to solve problems
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Parent-teacher partnerships occur when:• Teachers actively plan to involve parents (home visits, class
work demonstrations, student/parent learning activities)
• Parents feel welcomed and are invited to help out in the classroom
• Teachers and parents communicate on a regular basis (two-way communication)
• Parents actively seek and share information
• Teachers share strategies with parents to help a student improve/advance
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What are some barriers to positive teacher-parent relations?
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Barriers to positive partnerships for parents:• Not feeling valued or treated with respect
• Lack of trust
• Embarrassment about student’s progress or behavior
• Frustration (school may have allowed a problem to escalate)
• Fear of not understanding recommendations
• Focus only on the negative
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Barriers to positive partnerships for teachers:• Cultural differences
• Not enough time
• Differences in viewing roles
• Discomfort/dread (previous negative experience)
• Communication challenges (language/interpersonal skills)
• Minimal school-to-home communication
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Effective Teacher Communication =
Strong Trusting Relationships with Parents
Alliance-wide Summer Conference 2010 23
Communication Strategies:Before or at the beginning of the school year:• Contact every parent and get to know parents informally
• If necessary, schedule a home visit (stress that you regard parents as valuable partners)
• Send a letter or email introducing yourself (include when and how you can be reached)
• Send syllabus home with a syllabus contract
• Share teacher-parent conference tips
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Communication Strategies:During the school year:• Leave regular phone or email messages (share something
positive)
• Promptly return calls and respond to email messages or notes
• Set up a meeting to alert parents regarding a potential problem
• Assign student/parent learning activities or homework
• Prepare for parent-teacher conferences
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Communication Strategies:During school year:• Create a website or blog to share homework, projects, and
what students are learning
• Invite parents to visit your classroom
• Host a webcam or podcast session (create a link for parents to login live to watch a lesson being presented)
• Organize a Family Night
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Communication Strategies:When meeting with parents:
• Remember to smile and shake hands
• Be mindful of your tone of voice and mannerisms
• Use your school’s translation services
• Be willing to truly listen
• Admit to your mistakes
• Solicit input from parents/students before a decision is made
• Develop a cooperative action plan (if necessary)
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Teacher-Parent Action Plan
1. Describe the activity
2. Indicate resources needed
3. List the steps you are going to take to complete the activity
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Questions/Comments
Resources:
• What Does an Effective Partnership Look Like?/ED.govBlog
• Parents and Teachers Working Together by Carol Davis and Alice Yang
THANK YOU!