Building Bridges: Developing and Maintaining Positive Parent- Teacher

Relationships

OPEN~UANovember 18,2015

Parenting in like building a ship when you’re already at

sea.- Allyson Pearson

Discuss research on parent-school relationship

Identify methods of building relationships between educational team members

List roles and responsibilities of educational team members

Set a measurable goal to enhance communication between team members

What do we KNOW? Positive parent-teacher relationships directly affect

student achievement Poor parent school relationships result in feelings of

conflict for the child Parents’ sense of efficacy shapes their participation Teachers’ perception of parents’

efficacy affects partnership

Mutual respect Clear understanding of roles Opportunity for feedback Openness to change and adjustment Similar expectation Define common goal

Gorman,Jean Cheng(2004). “working with Challenging Parents of Students with Special Needs”

Students whose parents and teachers work together are more likely to

Earn higher grades and test scores

Enroll in higher-level programs

Are promoted more and earn more credits

Adapt better to school and attend more regularly

Have better social skills and behavior

Graduate and go on to higher educationHenderson, Mapp (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: the Impact of family, school and

community connections on student achievement. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, Austin, TX.

Discord between parents and teachers creates

Confusion

Divided loyalties

Diminished respect for the teachers

Increased defiance and arrogance

Katz, Lillian G. (1996). Building Resilience: Helping Your Child Cope with Frustrations at school. INSTRUCTOR 106(3): 95-98

Education affects a parent’s sense of efficacy

Attitudes about effectiveness and involvement yields greater sense of efficacy

Teachers’ assessment of parents efficacy is correlated to the amount and type of help offered by parents

High levels of teacher and parent self-efficacy lead to greater communication and more positive relationship

Hoover-Dempsey, K.V. Bassler. O.C., & Brissle,J.S. (1992). Explorations in parent-schools relations. Journal of Educational Research, 85(5), 287-294.

Developing the Fully-Engaged Parents:

A Model for Understanding Parent Involvement in Education

Price-Mitchell and Grijalva (2004)

Avoidance

Blaming

Rumor

Collusion

Pessimism

Judgment

Apathy

Defensiveness

Opposition

Involvement

Problem-Solving

Honesty

Trust

Optimism

Mutual Respect

Empathy

Active Listening

Collaboration

Price-Mitchell and Grijalva (2004)

Traditional School Volunteer(Helper)

PTA LeaderClassroom Aide

FundraiserBoard member

(school focused)

Fully –Engaged Parent(Collaborator)

CommunicatorProblem SolverActive Listener

Strategist

(school and child focused)

Uninvolved Parent ( Outsider)Disengaged, Isolated

RumorBlaming

CollusionReactive Parent( Provoker)

(neither child nor school focused)

Mindful Parent( Mentor)

Teacher respectInstills DisciplineInspires Learning

Models positive Behaviors

(child focused)

Maintaining Documentation

Focusing on truth and the source of information

Seek Help

Being Professional

Actively Building relationships

Gorman, Jean Cheng (2004).” Working with Challenging Parents of Students with Special Needs”.

Anxiety- for parents and teachers

Frustration- which can define your contact

Limited Time-demands are different but add up to the same result

“Begin with the end in Mind”

~Stephen Covey

What do you want your relationship with the school to be like….- in one month-At the end of this school year-At the end of five school years-When your child is finished with public education

DREAM BIG and plan annually

Planning for Efficiency

Know the disability, how it effect his/her learning

Consider Strengths and needs

Include the Child

Be positive

Be proactive

Be productive

Before……During……

After…..

Introducing …MY CHILD

Using the 3 P’s send a quick note and then set up a face to face meeting ( avoid an email at this time)

Medical information Child’s strengths and needs Summary of goals Contact information and best time to communicate Emergency information

Day to Day communication home to school notebook Notes in planner Check in/out sheet If phone call is required set up a consistent call time

and keep it short Conferences IEP meetings “Reviews and Snafus”

Get the lay of the Land

Do your homework

Include the “Most Valuable Player”

Take five…or as long as you need

Get on the same side of the table

Have a follow-up plan

Is it TRUE? Is it HELPFUL? Is it IMPORTANT? Is it NECESSARY? Is it KIND?

What are people saying…without saying anything at all?

What are YOU saying?

Posture, facial expressions, fidgeting…..

1. Intervention or Special Education Teacher( Case Manager)*

2. General Education Teacher*

3. Principle

4. Special Education Supervisor( when applicable)

5. Director of Special Education

6. Superintendent

7. Board of Education

8. State board of Education

*paraprofessionals report directly to teachers

“He’s an equal opportunity low-achiever”

“ADHD? That’s a cop out”

“You’ve probably been bending the rules for her since she’s been so sick”

“I don’t see the OCD. He just keeps going back to his locker all the time”

“We can’t afford to just give every kid intervention”

“ your child isn’t failing enough”

“He is just lazy”

“ What I want you to do is spend quality time with my son”

“Either you do what we want, or we’ll get a lawyer who will say you have to”

“I don’t care if the kid gets F’s. But you can’t fail him…”

“ I know you are giving 8 weeks of ESY to Mrs. Jones’s kid . I want that , too..”

“ What degree do you have that qualifies you to work with my child?”

Be sure to have your paperwork Copy of IEP, all assessments and progress reports

Get recommendations for the summer

Create templates for record keeping

Write genuine thank you notes

mailto:suzanne@hopeforlearning.com