Parent Communication Plan
Listen to parents
Be sure to let them finish what they are saying.
- This lets the parents know that you respect their views, and believe that they are able to contribute to the analysis of how best to formulate plans to help their respective children in school.
- Let parents establish their views every time you have a meeting. Albeit, if the parents are repeating their points many times during a given meeting, and you have offered feed back that you understand their points, you may use judgment as to then interject, and establish that such points have already been made by the parents.
Parent Communication Plan
Listen to parents
· Be sure to let them finish what they are saying.
· This lets the parents know that you respect their views, and believe that they are able to contribute to the analysis of how best to formulate plans to help their respective children in school.
· Let parents establish their views every time you have a meeting. Albeit, if the parents are repeating their points many times during a given meeting, and you have offered feed back that you understand their points, you may use judgment as to then interject, and establish that such points have already been made by the parents.
Take notes on what is being conveyed in the meeting.
· Parents see the care in which you are trying to be accurate about what happens during meetings with them is a priority for you as the teacher.
· Take notes sparingly so that you can also offer eye contact, and not just look like a court room stenographer.
Summarize what parents have explained, so that it is clear that you have synthesized what they have related to you; simply, you understand what they are trying explain to about their children’s learning needs on a ‘Big Picture’ scale.
· Once parents offer feedback that they know you, as the teacher, are understanding them about their children’s scholastic needs, refrain from added feedback until truly new ideas are brought forth by the respective parents.
Establish your stance on addressing students’ needs with their parents with a calm
demeanor.
This allows you, as the teacher, to present as thoughtful about the special needs of their children; it dispels a feeling that your responses are inflexible and ‘one size fits all.’ Give your views only after listening to the parents views. Teachers should state their positions as it relates to students’ scholastic needs enough so that the parents know what they are; try not to repeat them when they are clear to them.
Come to an agreement about a plan to help the parents’ children.
· Teachers should be as flexible as possible, while still meeting the school requirements, so that parents feel that they should show the same flexibility, while continuing to meet their children’s learning needs. Implementations of steps to help students cannot be applied unless there is closure between parents and teachers as to what may best help them. An agreement should be made one time after each meeting in which agreements need to be made; avoid aiming for agreements at the beginning or middle of meetings; otherwise you will have too many changes to agreements to avoid confusion over what the final
Take notes on what is being conveyed in the meeting.
Parents see the care in which you are trying to be accurate about what happens during meetings with them is a priority for you as the teacher.
- Take notes sparingly so that you can also offer eye contact, and not just look like a court room stenographer.
Summarize what parents have explained, so that it is clear that you have synthesized what they have related to you; simply, you understand what they are trying explain to about their children’s learning needs on a ‘Big Picture’ scale.
Once parents offer feedback that they know you, as the teacher, are understanding them about their children’s scholastic needs, refrain from added feedback until truly new ideas are brought forth by the respective parents.
Establish your stance on addressing students’ needs with their parents with a calm
demeanor.
This allows you, as the teacher, to present as thoughtful about the special needs of their children; it dispels a feeling that your responses are inflexible and ‘one size fits all.’ Give your views only after listening to the parents views. Teachers should state their positions as it relates to students’ scholastic needs enough so that the parents know what they are; try not to repeat them when they are clear to them.
Come to an agreement about a plan to help the parents’ children.
Teachers should be as flexible as possible, while still meeting the school requirements, so that parents feel that they should show the same flexibility, while continuing to meet their children’s learning needs. Implementations of steps to help students cannot be applied unless there is closure between parents and teachers as to what may best help them. An agreement should be made one time after each meeting in which agreements need to be made; avoid aiming for agreements at the beginning or middle of meetings; otherwise you will have too many changes to agreements to avoid confusion over what the final agreement will be.