Effective Strategies for Parental Engagement in School
Understanding the importance of parental involvement in a child's education and how to navigate challenging situations with parents, such as missed calls and conflicts. Strategies include effective communication, being empathetic, and maintaining a positive relationship for the benefit of the students' success.
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Presentation Transcript
ENGAGING WITH PARENTS DONNA ISD
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PARENTS Every parent wants the best for the child. That may look different than what you think is best, but keep in mind that it is nonetheless what they think is best. Parents affect how their child feels at school. If a parent feels welcomed, their child is more likely to feel this way. Many situations can be resolved, or at the very least, improved, by speaking with parents. Look at building relationships with parents as an investment in our students success.
SHARE OUT: WHAT DIFFICULT SITUATION HAVE YOU HAD WITH PARENTS? HOW DID YOU HANDLE IT? HOW THAT AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE SITUATION?
You are a teacher, and a parent calls you while you are teaching. Since you are teaching, you miss their call, only to hear a voicemail about how they are angry you did not pick up and will be pulling their child out of the school. What do you do? SCENARIO A Discuss with a partner.
SAMPLE SOLUTION Notify your principal upon receiving the voicemail but ensure them that you will follow up. Call the parent at your earliest convenience Thank them for contacting you, emphasize that you appreciate their commitment to their child s education. Tell them you were teaching and have to be present for the safety and wellbeing of all students. Provide hours that you would be available to pick up the phone in future, the phone number of the front office for urgent needs, and your email for other concerns. Address their concern. At the end of the call, thank them again and say you look forward to supporting their child together. Email your principal with an update of the situation. Main points: Maintain communication with your principal, especially when a parent is threatening to leave the school. Begin and end each conversation with a thank you for the parent s engagement. Frame everything you do in terms of supporting student success.
SCENARIO B You are feeling sick, and your coworker said something rude to you earlier. Overall, you are having a bad day. You are at the front desk, and the phone rings. How do you pick up the phone? Discuss with a partner.
Be friendly. Thank them for calling. SAMPLE SOLUTION Prioritize your interaction with the parent in the moment over how you are feeling. If you answer in a rude/ unfriendly manner, the parent will feel unwelcome. You do not know why they are calling, and being cold may exacerbate the problem. A seemingly small interaction on your end can completely shift how a parent views a school. Main points: Always choose friendliness.
SCENARIO C A parent calls in with a question. You do not have the answer, and you tell them you will get back to them later. As you are leaving work, you realize, you never responded to them. What do you do?
Call them or send an email. Tell them you are still looking for the answer to their question and will keep them updated. Spend time that night/the next morning looking for the answer. If you don t know the answer, you can always direct them to someone who does and follow up with the parent to ensure they receive a response. Main points: SAMPLE SOLUTION Maintain consistent communication with parents so they do not feel forgotten. It is ok not to know the answer to their questions as long as you do your best to find it.
