Dive Brief:
- Teachers should consider that parents may be inadvertently confrontational for a variety of reasons, regulating their own emotions and avoiding the escalation of tension by responding with empathy, Butlery University College of Education Assistant Professor Lori Desautels writes for Edutopia.
- Providing a memorable example of a teacher who let her know about a positive interaction with her own sometimes-disruptive son, Desautels says teachers should first find out from parents what they need and how the school can help them.
- She says beyond positive calls and messages, teachers should develop good relations with parents by providing more details about a student’s strengths and asking for key information about a student.
Dive Insight:
Teachers should first and foremost listen carefully to parents when conflict develops, according to guidance from a report by Western Governors University. It also recommends teachers consult with colleagues to get an objective view and their advice, and contact and administrator if they’ve been “as empathetic as possible” and have not been successful in resolving the issue.
Leaders have to address the conflict without damaging relationships, according to two researchers who developed six techniques for administrators handling conflict resolution between parents and teachers. Those techniques were reportedly tested successfully with about 30 administrators, and they include fully airing all opinions, listening and checking for clear understanding of the issues, without bias, and getting everyone to examine their point of view.
Harvard researchers have found that frequent, positive teacher-family communications improved student engagement, including homework completion, class participation and behavior. Homework completion went up 40%.
Karen Mapp — a Harvard professor, former deputy superintendent in Boston Public Schools and co-author of the book "Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family–School Partnerships" — has found repeatedly that new, creative approaches to communications with families pays off in parent involvement in school, and better student behavior and performance.