Exploring the Roles of Parents

Exploring the Roles of Parents

EDU 617 School, Family and Community Partnerships

A school is an organization that has been set aside to educate and influence knowledge and services to students and learners who study in it. In school the average child is escorted by their parent or guardian and left for so many hours with their teacher who has the responsibility to teach and help them learn skills that will be applied when they become adults in life. For the student to be successful, there should be a common relationship between teacher, parent and child.

To ensure the success of the child, it is the teacher and parent to make certain that they are in constant communication with on another; maintaining a healthy teacher parent relationship. There are roles that parents and teachers should increase to be sure that the relationship they have with the teacher is effective. These roles should include: teachers always have a welcoming demeanor when approaching a parent and should always be approachable. Parents and teachers should always be friendly to one another during meetings, events or functions; this helps in developing a relationship based on mutual respect (Chrispeels, 1996).

When teacher has a conference with the parent, they should be certain that they know the parents name. This is bring about comfort and gives the parent the understanding that you have tried to learn about who they are and you also acknowledged who they are by developing a relationship with their child. Teachers should always know the parents concern, allow them to express those concerns and address their views. Providing parents the opportunity to express those concerns will show that you have a genuine concern about not only their child but them as individuals. The parent should also display the same respect that is given to them from the teacher. Parents should be able to listen while the teacher speaks; to get a clear understanding of what they are trying to convey.

Teacher and parent should be respectful to one another. Respect shows students that parent and teacher knows how to get along and displays a good example for students on how to communicate with each other in a respectable manner even if they disagree. There are several ways for teachers to know if they have an effective relationship with their parents. This can be determined by the actions of the child in the classroom. One must be reminded that children are the product of their environment and their parents are their first teacher. If a parents display rude behavior or make negative gestures when they are approached by the teacher or if they fail to provide valuable information relating to their child’s behavior or academics in school; they have failed their child in ensuring their child have a positive academic year in their learning.

Parents also speak with other parents and if they were told something negative about a teacher this has a negative effect on their relationship. This can be shown in many instances when the child is in need of more help in a particular subject; however, the teacher is not willing to discuss the matter with the parent to help the child. This shows that the parent and teacher have not created a relationship with one another to again; ensure the success of the child. However, there are some teachers that have students in their class that are in need of extra help and the communication between the parent and teacher are great. This shows the students that both parties are on one accord and speaking the same thing with them in mind.

Students can become the victims of disagreements or they can benefit from parent student relationships. They both can motivate the child. Since the parent will be happy with the teacher’s routine and communication; the teachers will then be the person that the student will feel comfortable with and work hard in the class.

There will be an increase in student involvement and performance. The effective relationship with the parent and teacher will enable the teacher to give corrective teaching to the student and provide tutoring when necessary and at the same time conference with the parent to go over the student’s progress in learning.

The students are at their best when they see that both the parent and teacher are communicating with one another and are consistent. This also leads to better behavior in the classroom and outside the class. This positive behavior can allow the students to focus on their work; which leads to a positive class performance.

In conclusion, the good and effective relationship between the parent and teacher is imperative to create a positive environment for a child in the classroom as well as outside the class. It should be noted that there may be times when there a difference of opinion; however, the relationship should be kept at its best and one should never forget that the child is watching and learning. This shows the students that parents and teacher may not always agree but they can reach some common ground that benefits all involved.

References

Chrispeels, J., (1996). Effective School and Community Partnership Roles: A Framework for Parent Involvement. School Effectiveness and School Improvement.

Hoover-Dempsey, K. V.(1987). Parent Involvement: Contributions of Teacher Efficacy, School Socioeconomic Status and other School Characteristics. American Educational Research Journal.