The New Teacher´s Guide to Success

Matthew Haldeman
Chapter 6: Parent Communication

Good parent communication is an important part of being an
effective teacher. Keeping the lines of communication open will
help you establish a relationship as partners in teaching. The
following are two key ideas to communicate to parents:
• Their child’s teacher and school want them to be involved.
• They will be regularly informed and updated on their child’s
progress, both in areas that they excel and in areas that they
need assistance.
It is up to you to decide exactly how you are going to convey
the above messages to parents. Some teachers prefer to make
home visits. They feel that this gives them the best opportunity
to get to know their students’ families and vice versa. However,
home visits require a significant time commitment and can thus
be challenging for middle- and high-school teachers with 150
students.
Phone calls are another effective way of keeping in touch with
parents, but can also be time consuming. Writing letters, sending
emails, and allowing students to take their work home are three
strategies that take less time and can still have a positive impact.

All parents:
• think their children are special
• like getting positive reports
• worry about their children from the minute they walk
out the door
Some parents:
• have unrealistic ideas of their children’s abilities
• can get defensive very easily

Also decide what you are going to do if a parent has concerns.
It is not uncommon for parents to think that their children
are being treated unfairly, were given an unfair grade, or were
punished for something they did not do.

When talking to parents or writing comments/notes home
about their child, be careful about how you express yourself.
Avoid value judgments. Instead, focus on specific behavior. For
example:
Don’t say: “Juan is lazy.” Do say: “Juan didn’t do his
work today.”
Don’t say: “Analisa is
violent.”
Do say: “Analisa pushed a
girl in gym.”
Don’t say: “Liam is a liar.” Do say: “Liam told me he
did his work, but he never
handed it in.”
Another important aspect of contacting parents is discussing
ways that they can help out at home. The following are examples
of how parents can support their child’s education at home:
• Review books and papers at home with your child. Show
interest in his or her work; this communicates the idea that
education is important.
• Talk with your child daily about school, everyday happenings,
and current events.
• Instruct your child to finish homework earlier in the day rather
than leaving it until the last minute.
• Provide a quiet, well-lit area where your child can study. Set
up an area designated for study, and provide materials for your
child to work with.
• Insist that homework be done away from the television and
other potential distractions. Some individuals work better with
background music, while others find it distracting. Find out
what works best for your child.
• Take an interest in your child’s schoolwork and provide
additional help when he or she has an upcoming test. It is also
helpful to quiz your child orally on the information he or she is
currently studying.
• If your child has trouble understanding something, try to help.
• Be aware of study strategies such as note-taking that can be
shared with your child.
• Read with your child and around your child. Encourage your
child to read for pleasure. Discuss what your child reads
independently and what you read together.
Things to Consider
How and when will you gather contact information for parents
(address, phone number, email address, etc.)?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How often will you call parents? When will you call? Where do
parents prefer to be called—at home or at work?
Calling parents when a child misbehaves is an excellent
behavior-management technique. However, parents are often
resentful when the only contact they have with their child’s
teacher is when he or she does something wrong. If you have
already made a habit of calling, it will be easier to pick up the
phone when there is a challenging situation.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Will you send out a welcome letter or packet? What will this
include? Will you send out other letters periodically? How
often? What form will these letters take?
An introductory letter to parents can be helpful in establishing
a relationship with them at the beginning of the year. You
might include your expectations of the parent(s) and the
student, additional information you would like to have about the
student (e.g., special needs, allergies, study habits), and contact
information. Other letters or forms that you might send home
during the year include student progress forms, volunteer forms
(to give parents the opportunity to volunteer at school), a thankyou
letter for those parents who offer their time, and a weekly or
monthly newsletter outlining recent class activities, assignments,
etc.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
What information is most important for parents to know?
Parents like to be kept informed about as many things as possible.
Sending out letters is far easier than calling each one individually.
In addition, letters will protect you against the parent who comes
up with the excuse, “You never told me.”
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

What will you do if a parent feels a situation is unfair?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
What will you do if a child does something that you do not allow
and tells you, “My mother/father said I could”?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How will you handle a child whose parents are uninvolved or
unavailable, despite your best efforts?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
How will you handle special cases (e.g., communicating with
parents who have joint custody)?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Coming soon: Chapter 7: Homework

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