Collaborating with Families

Think back to your experiences as a student in elementary, middle, and high school. What types of interactions did your teachers have with your family members? Did you feel a sense of dread if your family received a note or phone call from the teacher? Did you feel proud after a parent-teacher conference? Did the two groups ever work together to help you through a difficult time, like when you were struggling to understand a concept?

The interactions between your school and home lives likely left some impression and may have affected your attitudes about school, either positively or negatively.

Fostering collaboration with family members is an important part of a teacher’s job. If done in a supportive and positive manner, there can be tremendous benefits for the student, teacher, and family members involved. It’s important to note here that not all students will have traditional family units. Teachers need to be aware that they may be communicating with parents, guardians, legal caregivers, or child advocates in order to make sure that they are considerate of the varied experiences their students may have.

In this video, we will explain why teacher-family collaboration is important and describe how it can be facilitated. We will also identify some barriers to collaboration and provide some solutions for how they can be addressed.

Why is collaboration important?

Teacher-family collaboration can benefit everyone involved. First, it is linked to increased student achievement and more positive attitudes about school. It can also increase students’ motivation to succeed and positively affect student attendance and class participation.

Teachers can also learn valuable information about students’ existing knowledge, attitudes, interests, and personal experiences, helping them to more effectively differentiate instruction.

Parents and family members who feel comfortable communicating with teachers may notify them of potential concerns as they arise, leading to prompt attention.

For example, a parent may notice their child struggling with a concept on a homework assignment. If that is communicated to the teacher, the student may receive targeted instruction immediately, whereas the teacher may not have personally noticed the issue until an assessment was given later.

Types of Communication

It is important for teachers to communicate with family members regularly, starting at the beginning of the school year.

Teachers may reach out to introduce themselves and share class policies, grading expectations, needed materials, and other key information that will set students up for success. Teachers should also provide details about how information will be communicated. For example, they may explain that a newsletter will be emailed weekly and provide instructions for accessing the platform where grades are recorded.

Teachers should also outline the best ways for family members to reach them, as there may be some limitations on contact through certain means. For example, teachers are not likely available to take phone calls when they are with students, so conference periods can be listed. Expectations for when families can expect to receive responses can also be helpful. Some schools have policies that emails must be responded to within 48 business hours, for example, and clarifying the policy will prevent frustrations if parents don’t hear back immediately.

At the beginning of the year, teachers can let families know that their input is valued, and they can be asked to share information that could help guide instruction or communication with the student. This includes if there have been any recent changes, like a move, birth of a sibling, or death in the family, along with the student’s interests and goals.

Throughout the year, teachers should provide frequent updates regarding what the class is learning and things students can practice at home. Additionally, they should share ways to access helpful resources, like login information for online materials.

Teachers should also provide frequent updates on grades, particularly if students are in danger of failing a class or not earning credit. Many schools have policies specifying when and how often parents should be contacted if the student is in danger of failing a course. They should also notify families if any repeated issues occur, such as excessive absences or tardies, so these issues can be addressed promptly.

It is also important for teachers to reach out frequently with positive news, so that families don’t only associate teacher contact with problems. For example, if a student has made progress toward a learning goal or showed kindness to another student, families would love to hear that. This builds trust and encourages additional communication in the future.

Barriers to Collaboration

Even if teachers reach out to families frequently, there may be barriers to communication.

First, family members have their own unique backgrounds that shape their opinions about school. Previous negative experiences may make them hesitant to talk with teachers or visit the classroom. Teachers can reach out early in the school year, before any potential problems have occurred, to let families know their opinions are valued. Maintaining a collaborative, nonjudgmental approach during all interactions is important.

Various other issues may also make communication difficult. Family members may be at work during teacher work hours, making it difficult to communicate by phone or in person, or may simply lack reliable transportation. Some families may not have consistent phone or internet services, so while it may feel that they are avoiding contact, that is not always the case.

To address these issues, teachers can provide options for communication. These options may include meeting in person before or after school or during a conference period, talking by phone or video call, or communicating via email if schedules can’t be coordinated for a synchronous conversation. An additional option could even be sending information in the mail if other means are inaccessible.

If family members don’t speak English, teachers can reach out to their districts for assistance in providing interpreters, if available. With district support, school communication may be provided in students’ native languages, or teachers may send classroom updates using platforms with translation features. Planning activities that allow students to share their cultures, incorporating diverse reading materials, and fostering an environment of respect for differences can also help family members feel comfortable in a school setting.

Review

Let’s review what we learned in this video.

• Teacher-family collaboration has numerous benefits, including increased student achievement and motivation.
• Teachers should communicate with families at the beginning of the school year to share class policies and encourage family input. They should continue communicating frequently throughout the year, sharing both positive updates as well as concerns.
• There are many potential barriers to teacher-family collaboration, including family members’ prior school experiences, scheduling conflicts, lack of access to resources, and language differences. Teachers can address these issues by offering a variety of communication methods and maintaining a collaborative, nonjudgmental tone.

Questions

Let’s go over a couple of review questions.

1. A teacher is concerned about a student’s reading progress, and she has scheduled a conference with the student’s parents to discuss the issue. What are some approaches the teacher can use during the conference to encourage collaboration and let the parents know their input is valued?

2. A teacher wants to host several events for families throughout the year, including a meet-the-teacher event, science showcase, and art fair. How might the teacher design these events in order to encourage participation from as many families as possible?

That’s all for this review! Thanks for watching, and happy studying!