Working with Parents

As special educators, we spend a great deal of time thinking and planning appropriate educational strategies for our students. We also work with a variety of school personnel to ensure that our students receive necessary supports.

We also must do our best to work effectively with parents. Here are some tips about working with parents that we’ve learned over the years.

1. Keep a log of all contact with parents—phone calls, e-mails, notes, quick conversations in the hallway. And keep copies of any notes or e-mails sent to parents that contain important information about students.
2. Don’t hesitate to contact parents with questions that you have about their child.
3. Encourage parents to contact you with questions or concerns.
4. If you need to visit a parent at their home, be sure to take a colleague with you.
5. If parents don’t respond to your inquiries in a timely manner, don’t make assumptions about why you haven’t heard from them.
6. Keep parents informed about what is going on in your class.
7. Let parents know when their child has done something positive, not just when there are concerns to discuss.

What have you found to be effective ways to work with parents? How do you communicate with your students’ parents? Let us know.

Joyce and Mary

Comments

[Carol Bryan]

I am in the unique situation of teaching in a cyber school. More than in the traditional school, we need open communication with parents. We also have to spend time training parents on how to implement and support the strategies with their children. This is critical because we use parents as partners in educating their children. Is there anyone else out there teaching virtually? How have you worked on this issue?

[Steve @ Mothers Day 2009]

I like the ideal of reporting good progress and not just negative situations to parents.

[Christina Pellak]

This year my goal is to improve on my parent communication skills. I am planning on sending newsletters home monthly, call parents more often about good things their child does, provide parent trainings, and have parents come into the classroom to get one on one training on how to work with their children. I also send home daily sheets to tell the parents what they did throughout the day. I am also planning to give out my email and both of the classroom phone numbers at the beginning of the year so they are able to easily get in touch with me.

[Jane Hardin]

Hello All!
I am very interested in doing some research around the topic of improving communication skills between teachers ( and administrators) and parents/guardians of children with special needs. There is not a great deal of research on this specific topic and I think it would be interesting to explore. Any feedback would be most welcome, both from teachers and parents!!

[Kimberlynn Kemp]

Teacher leadership has extended beyond the classroomand teachers today are being asked to do many things that past traditional teachers were not required to do. Communicating more with parents and families on how they can help their children reach higher academic standards.
In school where parents are involved in their children's education, students generally achieve more than children whose parents do not becomse involved in school activities. When schools work together with families to support learning, children tend to succeed not just in school, but throughout life.

[Tiffany Jackson]

These are very good strategies. I always communicate with my parents. I am constantly writing notes each day and not for behavior problems but to let them know how their child is doing. I also have behavior charts that I send home daily so the parents will know how their child did on that day. It also has homework on it and whatever is going on for the week. We also send home newsletters each week so the parents will know what is going on for the whole month. I believe that communication is very important with parents.

[Mary]

Excellent suggestions, BT. As with many things, finding what works for individual students and families can vary. Thanks for sharing what you've found to be effective.

[BT]

I have found the most effective strategies are based on individual needs of parents. I write in student planners and send home behavior charts daily to communicate with parents. There is a notebook next the classroom phone to log contact with parents. I encourage parents to communicate with me in a variety of ways.