Whether you’re handling a large group of rambunctious second-graders or a series of different classes in high school, communicating with the parents of your students is essential. For those just starting out in the teaching profession, this aspect of the job can be tricky to say the least. Until you build up experience, it helps to follow some guidelines when new to such interactions. One constructive pointer is to go into the meeting or phone conversation well prepared and with a goal in mind. That means being ready to report and discuss the student’s behavior and areas of improvement along with any accomplishments and academic strengths. It also means carefully going over your school’s policies and procedures for parent-teacher interactions. Doing so could help lay out what to expect as well as what is expected of you. Once you have these aspects covered, prepare yourself for the task by practicing effective communication strategies. For instance, when talking with parents, utilizing active listening skills can be particularly important. The reason being is that parents typically shed light on the student’s home situation, behaviors and academic prowess through casual conversations. This helps provide guidance with giving the parents feedback and understanding the student’s needs. All this could be very valuable for improving classroom management for teachers. To learn more about classroom management, be sure to read on to the infographic accompanying this post for more information.
