Practical Tips & Suggestions

This section offers some helpful considerations, approaches, and strategies that can be harnessed to support the realization of the guiding principles of the topic discussed in the module. It also offers tips and suggestions which can be adapted or personalized to suit a teacher’s or educator’s specific context or situation; and helps support shared understanding of promising or effective practices in working with parents and guardians.

Elementary

Secondary

Notwithstanding anything in this section, teachers who are considering adopting or adapting any of these tips or suggestions are encouraged and reminded to do so in an informed way that a) respects collective agreements, b) adheres to board policies and other regulations and laws governing the profession, and c) does not adversely affect their own well-being.

As elementary teachers and educators, we can establish positive relationships with parents and guardians in these ways:

  • Begin by presuming positive intentions about parents’ and guardians’ motivations, statements and actions.
  • Maintain professionalism in all your contacts with parents. Try to remain conscious of the implicit messages you may be sending in your use of language (spoken or written) and body language.
  • Establish and communicate the existence of professional norms in your dealings and communications with parents and guardians. This may help avoid potential misunderstandings and inappropriate behaviours from  emerging.
  • Listen actively and focus on assets and strengths when entering into conversations with families. This can help all parties to arrive at deeper understandings.
  • Invite parents and guardians to share with you their perspective about the interests, strengths and needs of their children. Use this information to better understand your students and their parents or guardians.
  • Provide parents with clear behavioural expectations, classroom routines and procedures for developing a community of learners so everything is transparent.  Co-construct these age-appropriate expectations, routines and procedures with students in class before they are shared with parents.
  • Frame phone calls or meetings with parents by beginning with positive statements, based on classroom evidence, followed by more detailed and descriptive feedback and explanations about challenges or concerns.
  • Share appropriate ways in which parents can support their children’s learning at home and at school.
  • Explain to parents how students may obtain help or assistance and where to get extra help and stipulate appropriate times, during the course of the regular school day, when you may be available to answer questions or address other learning needs.

This section offers some considerations, approaches, and strategies that could be harnessed to support working with parents and guardians. These suggestions should be personalized by a teacher or educator to meet their own needs and to respond to their specific context. Furthermore, clearly some tips reflect approaches that a teacher may not be able to undertake alone.

Notwithstanding anything in this section, teachers who are considering adopting or adapting any of these tips or suggestions are encouraged and reminded to do so in an informed way that a) respects collective agreements, b) adheres to board policies and other regulations and laws governing the profession, and c) does not adversely affect their own well-being.

As secondary teachers and educators, we can establish positive relationships with parents and guardians in these ways:

  • Begin by presuming positive intentions about parents’ and guardians’ motivations, statements and actions.
  • Maintain professionalism in all your contacts with parents. Try to remain conscious of the implicit messages you may be sending in your use of language (spoken or written) and body language.
  • Establish and communicate the existence of professional norms in your dealings and communications with parents and guardians. This may help avoid potential misunderstandings and inappropriate behaviours from emerging.
  • Listen actively and focus on assets and strengths when entering into conversations with families. This can help all parties to arrive at deeper understandings.
  • Invite parents and guardians to share with you their perspective about the interests, strengths and needs of their children. Use this information to better understand your students and their parents or guardians.
  • Provide parents with clear behavioural expectations, classroom routines and procedures for developing a community of learners so everything is transparent.  Co-construct these age-appropriate expectations, routines and procedures with students in class before they are shared with parents.
  • Frame phone calls or meetings with parents by beginning with positive statements, based on classroom evidence, followed by more detailed and descriptive feedback and explanations about challenges or concerns.
  •  Share appropriate ways in which parents can support their children’s learning at home and at school.
  • Explain to parents how students may obtain help or assistance and where to get extra help and stipulate appropriate times, during the course of the regular school day, when you may be available to answer questions or address other learning needs.