Relationship Building: Parent/Teacher Communication

SBCUSD

4 Oct 201703:13

Summary

TLDRThe video highlights the importance of building strong relationships between teachers and parents to support students' success. Teachers like Ms. Mondragon, Ms. Gapp, Ms. Becker, and Ms. Amberson emphasize regular communication with parents through calls, emails, newsletters, and progress reports. They create open and collaborative environments, where parents feel involved in their child's education, whether through grading papers, attending meetings, or simply staying informed. The video underscores the shared commitment to ensuring students feel valued and supported both at home and in the classroom.

Takeaways

🤝 Building relationships with parents is a priority to support their child's success.
📞 Teachers frequently communicate with parents to share positive feedback, not just concerns.
📰 Sending a newsletter before the school year begins helps parents understand classroom procedures and rules.
📧 Timely communication with parents, ideally within 24 hours, is crucial for addressing concerns quickly.
🔓 Classrooms are open to parents who want to participate, whether by helping students or assisting with tasks like grading.
📝 Daily notes between parents and teachers through a communication book foster consistent interaction.
📊 Weekly progress reports are sent to keep parents updated on their child's performance.
📱 A communication app allows for easy and early contact between parents and teachers.
😊 Parents feel reassured when they know their child's well-being is also a priority for the teacher.
👨‍👩‍👦 Teachers value building strong, positive relationships with parents to create a supportive learning environment for students.

Q & A

What is the first relationship Ms. Mondragon tries to build as a teacher?
-Ms. Mondragon focuses on building a relationship with the parents first, as she believes they are crucial in working together to support their child.
How does Ms. Gapp establish a relationship with parents?
-Ms. Gapp emphasizes the importance of regular communication with parents. She informs students on the first day that she is a 'caller homer' teacher who calls parents regularly to share positive updates about their child.
How does Ms. Mondragon introduce herself to parents before the school year starts?
-Ms. Mondragon sends a newsletter during the summer, which includes information about her, her classroom procedures, rules, and other details parents need to know.
What is Ms. Becker's approach to responding to parents' concerns?
-Ms. Becker responds to parents as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours. She mentions that her email is connected to her phone, allowing her to address concerns promptly, which helps deescalate potential issues.
What is Ms. Mondragon’s policy regarding parents visiting her classroom?
-Ms. Mondragon keeps her classroom open to parents, allowing them to assist in the classroom in various capacities, such as helping with grading papers or other tasks.
How does Ms. Amberson communicate with parents daily?
-Ms. Amberson communicates with parents every day by writing a quick note, often via a child’s agenda. The notes typically consist of a signature from parents acknowledging the day's communication unless specific issues need to be addressed.
What weekly communication does Ms. Amberson send to parents?
-In addition to daily notes, Ms. Amberson sends home a weekly progress report to keep parents informed about their child's performance.
What app does Ms. Mondragon use for communication, and how did it impact parent involvement?
-Ms. Mondragon uses a communication app to stay in touch with parents and provide updates. She was excited that some parents signed up for the app ahead of time, allowing her to connect with them before meeting in person.
Why does Ms. Becker believe it’s important to build a relationship with parents?
-Ms. Becker believes that parents need to feel that their child, who is most important to them, is also important to the teacher. This builds trust and reinforces the idea that their child is in good hands.
What is the main theme of the teachers' approaches to parent communication?
-The main theme is that building positive, proactive, and consistent communication with parents is key to fostering a supportive environment for the student’s success.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Building Parent-Teacher Relationships

Ms. Mondragon emphasizes the importance of forming relationships with parents as the first priority. She believes that working closely with parents is essential to helping their children succeed in the classroom.

📞 Positive Communication with Parents

Ms. Gapp highlights her proactive approach to communicating with parents, explaining that she frequently calls them to share positive news about their children’s progress. She aims to foster a positive and supportive relationship by sharing good updates rather than only focusing on issues.

📰 Summer Newsletter to Parents

Ms. Mondragon explains how she prepares a newsletter before the school year starts to introduce herself to parents. The newsletter includes classroom procedures, rules, and important information that parents need to know.

⏱ Quick Response to Parental Concerns

Ms. Becker stresses the importance of responding to parents as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours. She recounts an example where prompt communication with a parent prevented a situation from escalating, ensuring both the child and parent felt supported.

🏫 Open Classroom for Parents

Ms. Mondragon keeps her classroom open to parents, encouraging them to participate in classroom activities. She allows them to assist with grading papers or working with students, giving parents a chance to feel involved in their children's education.

📝 Daily Communication with Parents

Ms. Amberson shares her method of maintaining daily communication with parents through a written note that goes back and forth. Children also write in their agendas, and any significant behavior or issues are addressed directly through this communication.

📱 Communication Apps for Parent Engagement

Ms. Mondragon mentions her use of a communication app to stay connected with parents. She was pleased to see some parents signing up for the app ahead of time, allowing her to interact with them before meeting them in person.

👨‍👩‍👧 Importance of Parent-Teacher Bonds

Ms. Becker emphasizes that the children in her classroom are the most important to their parents, and she works to show parents that their child is just as important to her. Building this connection is essential to fostering trust and cooperation.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Parent-teacher relationship

The connection and communication established between teachers and parents. In the video, Ms. Mondragon emphasizes the importance of building a strong relationship with parents to better support the child's development. This relationship is crucial as it helps create a collaborative environment for the child's success in school.

💡Communication

The process of exchanging information between teachers and parents. Teachers like Ms. Gapp and Ms. Becker discuss their communication methods, such as calling home or responding to emails. Regular and effective communication ensures that parents are informed about their child's progress and behavior, which builds trust and prevents misunderstandings.

💡Positive feedback

Encouraging comments from teachers to parents about their child's achievements or improvements. Ms. Gapp mentions calling parents to share positive remarks about their child, like praising a well-written paragraph. This practice fosters a supportive environment and reinforces positive behaviors.

💡Newsletter

A written communication sent to parents containing important information about the classroom. Ms. Mondragon mentions sending out newsletters during the summer to inform parents about classroom procedures, rules, and her personal background. This helps establish initial contact and set expectations before the school year starts.

💡Open classroom policy

A practice where parents are welcome to visit or participate in the classroom. Ms. Mondragon emphasizes that her classroom is always open to parents, allowing them to assist in various ways, such as grading papers or working with students. This openness promotes transparency and involvement.

💡Turnaround time

The time it takes for a teacher to respond to a parent’s inquiry. Ms. Becker stresses the importance of responding to parent emails as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours. Quick responses can prevent issues from escalating and ensure parents feel heard and valued.

💡Progress report

A document summarizing a student's performance and progress in class. Ms. Amberson mentions sending home weekly progress reports, ensuring that parents are consistently updated on their child's academic status. This regular feedback helps parents stay informed and engaged with their child’s learning.

💡Behavior notes

Notes sent home to inform parents about specific incidents or behaviors that occurred at school. Ms. Amberson uses daily communication through an agenda, where she writes notes about any particular behavior or situation that needs to be addressed. This keeps parents aware of their child’s actions in real-time.

💡Classroom procedures

The rules and routines established by a teacher to manage the classroom effectively. Ms. Mondragon includes information about her classroom procedures in her newsletter to parents. By sharing these procedures, she ensures that both parents and students understand the expectations and structure of the learning environment.

💡Validation

The process of acknowledging a child’s feelings and experiences. Ms. Becker talks about how quickly addressing a parent’s concern can lead to the child feeling validated and understood. This concept is important in creating a safe and supportive environment for the student’s emotional and academic growth.

Highlights

Ms. Mondragon emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with parents, as they play a crucial role in helping their child succeed.

Ms. Gapp mentions that she actively calls parents to share positive updates about their children, aiming to foster a positive relationship.

Ms. Mondragon sends out a newsletter during the summer, providing information about herself, classroom procedures, and rules for parents.

Ms. Becker believes in responding to parents as quickly as possible, often within five minutes, ensuring parents feel heard and issues are resolved promptly.

Ms. Mondragon invites parents into her classroom, allowing them to assist in different ways, such as grading papers, to help them feel involved.

Ms. Amberson communicates daily with parents through written notes in a child’s agenda, fostering consistent interaction.

Ms. Amberson sends home a weekly progress report, ensuring parents stay informed about their child's development.

Ms. Mondragon uses a communication app to keep parents informed and even had parents sign up for it before the school year began.

Ms. Becker highlights that children are the most important thing to their parents, and she makes it clear that they are equally important to her.

Ms. Gapp reassures parents that her frequent calls are positive and meant to highlight students' successes, not just to discuss problems.

Ms. Becker responds quickly to parent concerns to prevent small issues from becoming bigger, ensuring both parents and children feel validated.

Ms. Mondragon values a collaborative environment where parents are welcomed into the classroom to support both their child and the teacher.

Ms. Mondragon’s use of a summer newsletter is a proactive approach to establishing early communication with parents before the school year starts.

Ms. Amberson encourages students to participate in the daily communication process, helping them take ownership of their learning.

The use of various communication tools (calls, notes, apps) highlights the teachers' commitment to fostering positive parent-teacher relationships.