Our school year is well and truly underway with Swim Safe Week for Years 1-6 in full swing. We are looking forward to Pancake Breakfast next Monday Morning and would love to see as many families as possible with us for some great pancakes and a great get to know you time. Last Wednesday evening we had our Parent Information Evening to start off our school year. It was great to see many of our families enjoying getting to know teachers and finding out what is happening in their classes in 2020. The relationship between a parent and their child’s teacher is a really important one and something we value greatly at Prescott Primary Northern. I read an article this week that outlines how we can build these important relationships. Please have a read and see if their might be some helpful hints. After all, it’s about our kids, isn’t it?

“In my work as a presenter and educator I’ve visited hundreds of schools, spoken with hundreds of school leaders and worked with many educational innovators and researchers at the forefront of modern education. These people and experiences have given me valuable insights into what makes great schools tick.

Strong parent–teacher relationships are one of the hallmarks of all great schools. They’re a major contributor to student success. The research into schooling across the Western world reveals that positive parent–teacher partnerships are a more significant factor in student success than parent income levels or social status.

However, parent–teacher relationships require effort and energy from both parties if they are going to really benefit children and young people.

Way to help form strong bonds with your child’s teachers this year:

Knowing (building affinity)

Know – the first element – requires you to be both proactive and patient. Proactive because you need to be willing to meet and work at maintaining relationships. Patient because it may take some time to build a working relationship. For your partnership to be meaningful and successful you need to meet with your children’s teacher(s) with the goal of forming a respectful professional relationship. Share your aspirations for your child and be willing to build the teacher’s knowledge about your family.

Get to know your child’s teachers’ aspirations and gain an understanding of their approach and the focus they have for this particular year group. Also commit to continuing to know what’s going on in the life of your child’s classrooms as well as the life of the school on an ongoing basis.

Supporting (building trust)

Children need to know that you are fully behind what their teachers are trying to achieve if they are going to commit fully to learning. The best way to support your child’s teacher is to trust their knowledge, professionalism and experience. Avoid the temptation to question the expertise of teachers in front of students, particularly when the teachers use methods that you are unfamiliar with. Initiate conversations with teachers around methodology to give them the chance to explain the approach they are taking.

Participating (building links to student learning)

Participation – the third element – takes into account the level of parent engagement in student learning. There’s a huge body of research that points to the correlation between parent engagement in student learning and their educational success. If you want your child to improve his learning, take an interest in what he is doing. Follow school and teacher guidelines about helping at home and attend as many conferences, meetings and events involving your child as possible. This simple strategy has a significant, long-term impact.

Communicating (building relationships)

Life’s not always smooth sailing for kids of any age. Family circumstances change. Friends move away. Illness happens. Mental health challenges can hit anyone at any time. These changes affect learning. Keep teachers up to date with significant changes or difficulties that your child or young person experiences so they can accommodate your child’s emotional and learning needs at school.

Advocating (building loyalty)

Advocacy – the last element – means that you talk teachers and your school up rather than tear them down among children and the wider community. Teachers hold very public positions and generally work hard to build good reputations both within their school and their wider education community. Consider a teacher’s reputation among the community and also with children when you discuss educational matters with others.

Building parent–teacher relationships doesn’t just happen. They take good will from both sides, a commitment to setting aside the time necessary to support the home-based learning tasks that are expected, and a willingness to communicate both concerns and commendations through the correct channels.

Parent–teacher relationships – long may they prosper!” (Grose, 2020)

Have a great week with your kids,

Mark B