A Teacher's Guide to Working With Parents

Parents are teachers’ most important allies when it comes to helping students reach their full potential. Numerous studies show that parental involvement benefits students in myriad ways, from better grades, to greater motivation, to higher self-esteem, to lower dropout rates. However, even parents who want to be involved in their child's schooling often will not take an active role until the teacher reaches out to them and tells them what they can do at home and at school participate in their child's education. It is critical, therefore, that teachers reach out to parents, offering them concrete opportunities for getting involved and specific suggestions for supporting their child's learning and school experience.

Some teachers worry that engaged parents will be demanding and difficult, but parents are less likely to be a bother and more likely to make a positive and productive contribution to the class and their child's education if they are provided with clear-cut options of ways in which they can help. Teachers should not overlook the ways in which involving parents can make their jobs easier. In A Teacher's Guide to Working with Parents, Kenneth Shore provides numerous examples of opportunities for recruiting parents that will benefit the teacher, child, parent, and the entire class.

Not all parents will have the time or inclination to commit to specific volunteer roles; nonetheless, it is critical that parents are engaged and know what their child is learning, what is expected of the student in school and with homework, and how their child is doing in class. Communication is key, and the guide provides multiple pages of suggestions for communicating effectively and consistently with parents. Because every teacher will at some point have to deal with difficult parents, the guide also provides an array of strategies for minimizing conflict and improving the dynamic with difficult parents. 

Students, parents and teachers alike will benefit when teachers implement the strategies in this handy resource.