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 work with parents and guardians to support students’ academic success in these ways:

• Share with parents and guardians how learning and teaching are continuing to change and evolve. This will help build a shared understanding of effective resources and strategies they can use to support and advance their child’s learning at home.
• Discuss the respective roles that teachers and parents play in nurturing the conditions that support the academic success and well-being of students.
• Identify some of the key actions that parents can take at home to support their children’s learning. Some might include:
  • maintaining high expectations for achievement and success
  • creating a quiet place for study and review
  • outlining specific strategies for how to study
  • supporting the ongoing development of learning skills, work habits and 21st century skills
  • knowing the “look-fors” for success in learning skills, work habits and 21st century skills
  • setting boundaries for use of technology, screen time and gaming at home
  • maintaining the optimal amount of sleep and rest needed for high performance at school
  • valuing the learning process, reflection, and consolidation
  • conveying positive messages about school and learning and encouraging a positive attitude toward learning
  • praising effort and persistence in the face of complex or difficult tasks.
• Share success criteria for learning skills and work habits with parents/guardians and emphasize how they can reinforce the “look-fors” at home.
• Use learning goals and success criteria as ways to engage parents/guardians in conversations about a learning destination and a concrete description of success.
• Use a learning styles/preferences inventory to gauge students’ interests, strengths and needs. This information can help inform and differentiate planning, instruction and assessment. Information might include some of the following:
  •  goals for the year (academic and personal),
  • current interests and passions,
  • languages spoken at home,
  • sports/hobbies or other activities,
  • strengths (academic and other ways),
  • stretches (what they find challenging or difficult to do and why),
  • learning styles (auditory, kinaesthetic, visual, etc.),
  • what they believe good learning looks and sounds like,
  • how they like to communicate evidence of their learning,
  • how they like to receive feedback to learn more effectively,
  • strategies they use in the classroom to be successful in different subjects,
  • any other information that will help get to know them as whole students.
• Use student-led conferences to enable students to communicate their learning to their parents or have students attend teacher-parent conferences; provide parents with a list of talking points in advance and use these as the agenda for the conference.
• Help parents/guardians to interpret their child’s provincial report card and encourage them to discuss their children’s strengths, areas for improvement and next steps for learning.
• Point parents and students to tips sheet on different study methods (e.g., note-making, mind maps, diagrams or infographics).
• Point parents to vetted resources for tapping into extra help (e.g., websites, in-school supports, programs such as Math Homework Help, and “tips” pamphlets on literacy and numeracy).
• Consult, when appropriate, with colleagues and other professionals at the school, board, or federation level such as a guidance counsellor, special education teacher, settlement worker, social worker, or psychologist to determine effective strategies to support students’ learning and academic achievement at home.
• During curriculum nights or open houses, emphasize learning skills and work habits, the role of assessment for and as learning, and how grades are determined from multiple sources of evidence (observations, conversations, student products).
• Frame questions and comments in parent-teacher interviews and conversations in ways that convey a belief to the parent that a student can improve and grow as a learner over time.
• Ensure that conversations about student learning and achievement are informed and supported by documented evidence or student artifacts.
• Help parents focus on school as a place to learn how to learn; emphasize levels of achievement and de-emphasize grades as the ultimate prize; reinforce the development of learning skills and work habits and the importance of using effort and feedback to become more skilled.
• Help parents understand that being supportive and positive with their children at reporting times, in spite of less than desirable results, will help their children remain confident and resilient learners.

As secondary teachers and educators, we can work with parents and guardians to support students’ academic success in these ways:

• Share with parents and guardians how learning and teaching are continuing to change and evolve. This will help build a shared understanding of effective resources and strategies they can use to support and advance their child’s learning at home.
• Discuss the respective roles that teachers and parents can continue to play in nurturing the academic success of students.
• Identify some of the key actions that parents can take at home to support their children’s learning. Some might include:
  • maintaining high expectations for achievement and success,
  • creating a quiet place for study and review,
  • outlining specific strategies for how to study, how to make notes, how to summarize, how to make summary mind maps and concept maps,
  •  supporting the ongoing development of learning skills, work habits and 21st century skills,
  • knowing the “look-fors” for success in learning skills, work habits and 21st century skills,
  • conveying messages that all pathways and choices are valued (college, university, or workplace),
  • valuing the learning process, reflection, consolidation,
  • conveying positive messages about school and learning and encouraging a positive attitude toward learning,
  • praising effort and persistence in the face of complex or difficult tasks.
• Share success criteria for learning skills and work habits with parents/guardians and emphasize how parents/guardians can reinforce the “look-fors” at home.
• Use learning goals and success criteria as ways to engage parents/guardians in conversation about a learning destination and a concrete description of success.
• Use a learning styles/preferences inventory to gauge students’ interests, strengths and needs. This information can help inform and differentiate planning, instruction and assessment. Information might include some of the following:
  • goals for the year (academic and personal),
  • current interests and passions,
  • languages spoken at home,
  • sports/hobbies or other activities,
  • strengths (academic and other ways),
  • stretches (what they find challenging or difficult to do and why),
  • learning styles (auditory, kinesthetic, visual, etc),
  • what they believe good learning looks and sounds like,
  • how they like to communicate evidence of their learning,
  • how they like to receive feedback to learn more effectively,
  • strategies they use in the classroom to be successful in different subjects
  • any other information that will help get to know them as whole students.
•  Share a course outline that includes Ministry expectations, a list of units, topics, learning goals and key assessments for each course. Identify difficult units that require more intensive study and practice.
• Encourage students to attend teacher-parent or student-led conferences with their parents to discuss strengths, areas for improvement and next steps for learning.
• Consult, when appropriate, with colleagues and other professionals at the school, board, or federation level such as a guidance counsellor, special education teacher, settlement worker, social worker, or psychologist to determine effective strategies to support students’ learning and academic achievement at home.
• Help parents to understand what success looks like for the learning skills and work habits in secondary school and how these evolve in complexity in each succeeding grade.
• Point parents to vetted resources for tapping into extra help (e.g., websites, in-school supports, programs such as Math Homework Help, and “tips” pamphlets on literacy and numeracy).
• Point parents and students to tips sheet on different study methods (e.g., note-making, mind maps, diagrams or infographics).
• During curriculum nights or open houses, emphasize learning skills and work habits, the role of assessment for and as learning, and how grades are determined from multiple sources of evidence (observations, conversations, student products).
• Frame questions and comments in parent-teacher interviews and conversations in ways that convey a belief to the parent that a student can improve and grow as a learner over time.
• Ensure that conversations about student learning and achievement are informed and supported by documented evidence or student artifacts.
• Help parents focus on school as a place to learn how to learn; emphasize levels of achievement and de-emphasize grades as the ultimate prize; reinforce the development of learning skills and work habits and the importance of using effort and feedback to become more skilled in a subject.
• Help parents understand that being supportive and positive with their children at reporting times, in spite of less than desirable results, will help their children remain confident and resilient learners.