4 Reasons Why Good Communication between Parents and Teachers Matters
Somewhere along the line, communication went wrong. People branded teachers and parents of school pupils as adversaries to each other instead of being allies. Negative ideas now abound of helicopter parents on one hand, and terror teachers on the other. And, alongside them, the image of overly rowdy or distressed students.
In truth, however, this shouldn’t be the case at all. Parents and teachers represent a set of adults who should have the children’s best interests at heart. Plus, their common pursuit should be holistic education and formation for these young people. It should please parents and teachers alike to see students learn, excel in school activities, and grow into compassionate and responsible young people.
As such, it’s of great value to have good communication between the two. Communication strategies between parents and teachers should anchor on their mutual interest in the pupils’ well-being, their leadership of the school community—and, ultimately, their trust in each other.
To illustrate, here is a short list of reasons why good communication between these two parties benefits everyone in the school system.
Communication as a means to follow through on a child’s condition in school
When parents and teachers enter into a dialogue, there are many possible desired outcomes. This includes getting to see the pupils improve in their school work, encouraging them to become more participative in extracurricular activities, and ensuring that they are always safe from harm.
With the technological solutions available today, opportunities for both parties to meet these outcomes can go beyond the semestral parent-teacher conferences (PTC) or the occasional school newsletter distribution. For example, the school can roll out a school and parent communication app with customized push notifications. This includes a mechanism to record parental permission for school-sanctioned activities. It also has a calendar to schedule more frequent parent-teacher interactions. Using such an app, it will be easier for both parents and teachers to update each other on the child’s school agenda.
It’s an avenue to celebrate the pupils’ accomplishments
In events such as PTCs, parents, and teachers often delve into how to address the pupils’ shortcomings. But what if they communicated more often about all the things the pupils do right? Seeing parents and teachers agree on their accomplishments will serve as a double affirmation for any child. The two-pronged communication effort—which they can articulate on posters in a classroom, or on a digital platform like an online school newsletter—would make the child feel supported, validated, and further motivated to do well.
It’s a way of building partnership in the cultivation of the school’s values
Educators may feel that they are the sole ambassadors of the school’s values. This is because they are the ones who are employed full-time. But if they stay in touch with their pupils’ parents, they might discover other envoys of special principles that the school advocates. For instance, if a school wishes to be known for instilling social awareness to its students at an early age, it can tap its parent network to patronize or help organize socio-civic activities.
It builds trust and rapport among parents, teachers, and students
In an ideal world, a school achieves a full sense of community. This applies not only to the students enrolled in a school, but also the dedicated parents and hard-working teachers. Good communication heightens the morale among the adults, strengthens their sense of purpose in raising their children, and keeps it well within their perspective that they are not alone in their endeavor. The goodwill amongst parents and teachers will also reinforce their status as collective role models to the schoolchildren.
Of course, good communication is not instantaneous and may take some work to achieve. But parents, teachers, and school staff know that these efforts are worth the price. It’s their chance to see the pupils blossom in a healthy, supportive, and encouraging school environment.
