Embedded Files
LEARNING TARGETS
By The End Of This Lesson, Students Will Be Able To:
Describe the importance of effective parent-teacher communications during a pandemic.
Describe how the pandemic has affected parent-teacher communication and examples of skills for promoting interaction during the pandemic:
2.1 How virtual learning has challenged the interactions between teachers and parents.
2.2 How the lack of parental involvement can negatively impact a student.
2.3 Skills, such as communication, positivity, and appreciation, assist in establishing a successful teacher and parent partnership.
Reflection:
Before the lesson begins, I would like you to share an example of when communication between your parent and your teacher occurred. Was this engagement beneficial in your academic success? What do you think could have been done, or done differently in that situation?
The Importance Of Effective Parent-Teacher Relationships:
Four Interview Takeaways
For the completion of the interview, I had the opportunity to interview a first-year, public school Kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Tekera Orr is a first-year, Kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school in Virginia. As Mrs. Orr took her position as a Kindergarten teacher in the middle of the pandemic, she was able to discuss with me how the emergent change in interactions between teachers, parents, and students led to many concerns by parents. Mrs. Orr addresses how she had to effectively reassure and respond to parents, while learning to adjust to a new position (T. Orr, personal communication, February 8, 2021).
My interview with Mrs. Orr added valuable insight to my lesson, being that she experienced the effects on education in the school system by a global pandemic first-hand. This interview opened my eyes to the many obstacles that teachers, parents, and students were forced to accept and adjust to in such sudden circumstances. Below I have listed the four interview takeaways that I felt would have the most impact on future educators and the development of their skills to better manage their classrooms.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TEACHERS AND PARENTS CREATES A BENEFICIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENT.
Mrs. Orr's Response:
"The relationship between a parent and a teacher is important because the relationship establishes a partnership. Teachers are able to implement strategies to assist in the growth of the student’s academic and social-emotional development. Whereas, a parent is able to observe the intricate details of a student’s abilities during private moments. When both the teacher and parent exchange information regarding the child. The partnership benefits the student and creates an ideal learning environment for the student" (T. Orr, personal communication, February 8, 2021).
THE PANDEMIC HAS LED TEACHERS TO FIND EFFECTIVE PLATFORMS THAT BENEFIT COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR PARENTS.
Mrs. Orr's Response:
"During in-person learning, the best communication seemed to be face to face. Anytime, a parent had a question or concern the message would be delivered in person. Any questions were answered immediately and all concerns were resolved in a timely manner. Also, everyone had the ability to understand what each person was attempting to convey to the other. The interaction has changed during virtual-learning and it is somewhat stressful for some parents and teachers. The communication takes place via phone, email, or through multiple platforms like Canvas, ClassDojo, Schoology, and more. There are many different platforms and the message may not be received by parents or teachers for hours and sometimes days" (T. Orr, personal communication, February 8, 2021).
COMMUNICATION, POSITIVITY, AND APPRECIATION ARE SKILLS THAT CAN PROMOTE INTERACTION BETWEEN PARENTS AND TEACHERS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
Mrs. Orr's Response:
"The skills needed to create a successful relationship between a teacher and a parent would be communication, positivity, and appreciation. The parent wants to feel validated when making decisions and the teacher would like for the parent to respond to information provided for the student. Teachers have the ability to create a positive space for parents and students. Therefore, positivity makes all parties involved feel appreciated" (T. Orr, personal communication, February 8, 2021).
A STUDENT'S ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS AT RISK WHEN TEACHER-PARENT COMMUNICATION IS NON-EXISTENT.
Mrs. Orr's Response:
"Parent interaction is vital to students, particularly during a pandemic. When a parent does not respond to the teacher’s phone calls, emails, and messages through various platforms. The student is unable to obtain all of the information that is delivered to the class.
The lack of involvement of a parent can negatively affect the work of a student because the student may feel unprepared academically. The student may also become unmotivated in completing assignments and coursework, which can place the student in danger of being retained" (T. Orr, personal communication, February 8, 2021).
CONCLUSION
Having the skills and ability to effectively maintain parent-teacher relationships during a pandemic, more specifically during virtual learning circumstances, are essential in the success of students. As an educator, when you are able to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to become educated on platforms that could enhance a parent-teacher relationship, you are developing a stronger bond and trust that will make parents feel comfortable, and more importantly, validating their needs in the student’s educational experience. When discussing situations such as the unexpected effects of the global pandemic, I concluded that teacher preparation in the area of communication skills between parents and teachers is necessary for the success of a classroom.
Let's Reflect On What We Learned:
Multiple Choice Questions
Mrs. Orr explained three skills that create a successful parent-teacher relationship. Which of the following is NOT a skill that was discussed:
A. Communication
B. Positivity
C. Strong Work Ethic
D. Appreciation
A student from Mrs. Moore's class has been returning to school every day with incomplete homework assignments. Mrs. Moore has seen how these homework assignments improve the understanding of the topic within other students and is worried that this student is not getting the same opportunity. What would be the next best action for Mrs. Moore to take, based on what was discussed in the lesson?
A. Mrs. Moore could continue to send homework home and hope that something changes.
B. Mrs. Moore could send an email to the parent of the student to schedule a virtual meeting to discuss academic goals and plans for the student.
C. Mrs. Moore can ask other educators if they know of anything that could be affecting the child at home.
D. Mrs. Moore could simply do nothing.
Answers To Multiple Choice Questions:
Answers To Multiple Choice Questions:
C
B
Reference List
Currie-Rubin, R., & Smith, S. J. (2014). Understanding the Roles of Families in Virtual
Learning. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(5), 117-126. https://doirorg.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1177/0040059914530101
Graham-Clay, S. (2005). Communicating with Parents: Strategies for Teachers. School Community Journal, 15, 117-129. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ794819
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