Communicating with Parents, Guardians and community members
Authentic Connections
I like to involve the parents in the course as soon as possible. Every year, even if I had the same students the year before, I print a little “contract” for the course. We read through it carefully on the first day. It covers a definition of the subject taught and general curriculum expectations for their grade, general instructions for every assignment, how they will be assessed, how to use their notebook, etc… They have to sign the contract and I ask that the parents read it and sign it too. I know they won’t all be extra supportive but that way, at least, I let them know that my door is open.
I find most parents are willing to help but not always able too. To explain myself, I will give an example. Things had escalated with a young female student. She would yell during my courses and would not address me respectfully. I couldn’t talk to her in a civilized manner. Most teachers were concerned but wouldn’t address the issue with her parents as it was rumored that the dad was violent and disrespectful. As the situation couldn’t continue as it was, I asked to meet with the student, one of her parents and the vice principal (my principal was a female and I thought we would need a male present). The mother came. The student was quieter than usual, as the circumstances had changed. The mother did not understand French very well, and I don’t speak Arabic. So communication was limited. But, as I carefully and slowly explained the problem to the mother, I realized I was in fact reaching out to the student. She finally was able to hear me when I wasn’t directly speaking to her and her behavior drastically changed from that day on (in my classroom at least!). Even though parents are not always able to help the way we hope, they are most of the time a figure the students look up to and this is why their involvement is so important. As well it’s easier to earn our student’s trust if their parent think we are trustworthy.
It can also be useful to ask the students to carry a notebook to facilitate communication with the parents: they or we can ask for an appointment, we can leave notes about behavior or achievements, etc… As I do think a relationship is needed between teachers and parents, I never hesitated to use this notebook to reach out to the parents, whether there is an issue that need solving or a success deserving sharing.