Cultivating Teacher-Home Relationships

Whether students live with their biological parents or with guardians, it's very important to cultivate a home/school relationship. Parents and guardians have the right to be informed on what's going on in the classroom. Most teachers want to be involved in what's going in the classroom, and most parents/guardians want to help their children with their schoolwork.

It's also a great idea to call or send a note home when students do something good. I've seen many teachers who only contact home when something bad has happened, and that's a very negative home. When teachers give parents/guardians good news, it lets students know that they're capable of doing good and also motivates them. Teaching students is a team effort, and relatives need to be a part of that team. Teachers can't do it all, so parents/guardians need to do their part too if students are going to get the most out of their education. When students are having trouble in the classroom, teachers can talk to parents/guardians to find out why they think the problem is occurring, and whether or not the problem has occurred in the past. Parents are a great resource for teachers, and can tell them a lot about a child's academic history and interest. Volunteers are also great in the classroom since teachers only have two hands, and an extra set or two can make things run more smoothly.

My teachers always involved my parents when I was young and it did make a difference. My grades weren't the best, but I appreciated my teachers since I knew that they really cared about me. These teachers talked to my parents because they knew I wasn't living up to my potential, and it made me want to work even harder in the classroom. I will encourage parents and guardians to be active in the students education, and will let them know what's going on by sending out weekly or biweekly newsletters and memos.