Goal 7: Collaboration with Parents and Families

Educators work as partners with parents, families and the community.

Creating a successful classroom requires more than teaching informative lessons.

Classrooms that create a bond between home life and school life are more successful than

classrooms that don’t. Creating rapport between parents, the student, and the teacher is a

powerful tool that helps create personal bonds and connections. “Rapport is also incredibly

important because it helps create buy-in.” (Burgess, 2012, p. 21) If parents and students have

trust in their teacher, the teacher is able to accomplish so much more. During my first parent

teacher conference, when I was teaching 7th grade science, I remember meeting the parents of a

student who had been consistently on his phone after multiple warnings and confiscations. I

remember how receptive the parents were to hear about this student’s behavior in class and my

worry that the student was no longer absorbing the lessons because of the distraction of the

phone. The next day, when I saw him in class, he had a letter of apology that was sincere and

committed to changing for the better. I never saw his phone again in my class for the rest of the

term. Building a rapport with parents, either by conversation, print, or personal interaction is key

to building connections and resolving issues.

One successful strategy that I employ as an instructor is to reach out to parents by writing

a letter that is sent home that contains my number, email, expectations, and extends an invitation

to the families of my students. At the very beginning of the year, I do this to set the precedent

that I am open and available to the community. As a way to illuminate my approach to

cultivating family involvement in the classroom, I’ve attached the letter to parents I plan to use

next school year. It means a lot to parents and students when teachers take the time to learn about
and see each student as the unique individual they are, beyond the academic world and into the

world outside of school.

Some students are not innately driven to try hard in school and are unmotivated learners.

When the family of those students become involved in the classroom, students are more likely to

increase the effort they put forth during class. “If you believe that effort is the most important

factor in achievement, you have a motivational tool that can apply to any situation.” (Marzano,

Pickering, & Pollock, 2005, p. 50) Taking time to create personal bonds and to make connections

between the family, student, and teacher by writing letters to parents, calling home, and creating

opportunities for parents to become more involved, are great strategies to help increase the

amount of effort the student will put forward.

Another important reason to create a collaboration between student’s home life and

school life is to get to know them before you assess them. In the book, Classroom Assessment:

Supporting Teaching and Learning in Real Classrooms, authors Taylor and Nolen emphasize that

fair is not always equal and standards-based grades don’t recognize the more intricate details and

differences between each student as a person- and assesses work from a black and white

perspective (Taylor & Nolen, 2008). In my letter to parents, I clarified my expectations for the

classwork I would be assigning and encouraged collaboration between myself and my

community. The most accurate assessment comes when there is clear communication between all

parties and the ability to see the students work in full color, not black and white.

Standard number four of the Parent Teacher Association Handbook states, “Families are

empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated

fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.”

(https://www.pta.org/home/run-your-pta/National-Standards-for-Family-School-Partnerships) I
believe that teachers of every grade should empower and encourage the families of our students

to become active participants in the academic progression of their student and feel welcomed and

wanted in the classroom. My philosophy regarding collaboration with parents and families is

highlighted by the importance of working as a team in order for each student to develop to the

fullest and extends past any letter and reaches out into my personal interactions with parents and

the community I serve.

Resources:

Burgess, D. (2012). Teach like a pirate: Increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and
 transform your life as an educator, 21. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting.

Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2005). Classroom instruction that works research-
based strategies for increasing student achievement, 50. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson.

Parent Teacher Association (2009). National standards for family-school partnerships. Retrieved
7/2/19: http://www.pta.org/files/National_Standards_Implementation_Guide_2009.pdf

Taylor, C., & Nolan S. (2008) Classroom assessment: supporting teaching and learning in real
classrooms, (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.