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an article from
The Contemporary Classroom's
professional journal

The Role of communication
in fostering parent & teacher partnerships

Effective communication between caregivers and teachers is key to establishing and maintaining positive caregiver/teacher partnerships. 

Effective caregiver-teacher communication allows teachers and caregivers to understand and trust one another, the foundation needed to enable both to work together to support children’s wellbeing and development. 

For more information regarding parent-teacher partnerships, our article on effective partnerships may be helpful. 

Research based benefits of effective communication

Research shows that caregivers who are explicitly invited and encouraged to take part in their child’s education, whether at home or being part of a school activity, are more willing to do so & feel more confident that their participation can have an impact. 

Effective caregiver-teacher communication fosters a strong partnership between the teacher and the parent. 

challenges of effective caregiver-teacher communication

While caregivers play an essential role in elementary school learning, effectively reaching them can be an ongoing challenge. 

When caregivers seem hard to reach or reluctant to participate, those necessary positive partnerships can seem challenging. It is important to remember that reluctance doesn’t always mean they do not want to be engaged in their child’s education. 

Effectively communicating with caregivers starts with respectfully meeting them where they are emotionally. This requires empathy – asking questions and sharing with them your common interest: their child’s education. As you read the list below, try to think if one of these circumstances may be true for a family in your class…

While the challenges of effective caregiver-teacher communication may vary based on the individuals, common challenges include:

  • Unspoken expectations about family engagement: some families see their place to be getting their child to school and the teacher’s place to be teaching skills and knowledge.  This could be a result of a cultural difference or sign that they respect & trust in you as the teacher. 
 
  • Inflexible work schedules and/or difficulty being able to communicate during work hours
 
  • Limited resources – this may look like trouble getting childcare for another child, transportation difficulties
 
  • Shared/complicated custodial situations – Students splitting time going back and forth between their parents’ homes can result in 1 parent not getting paper notices that are sent home because it is not their day.  It can also be unclear who should be involved, especially for children with multiple households or in foster care. Communication between parents who work long hours and their babysitters may fall through resulting in papers staying on messy counters for days unnoticed or messages being forgotten. 
 
  • Prior negative experiences with schools – Sometimes caregivers have their own trauma from school. Perhaps they suffered from a learning difference which resulted in them feeling inferior and returning to a classroom brings back those sentiments.
 
  • Overwhelming communication correspondances OR receiving information in overwhelming ways – There are so many e-mails and newsletters sent out by various organizations. Especially during COVID, everything went electronic. The number of e-mails sent daily increased dramatically which resulted in people becoming burnt out from reading things on their screens and overwhelmed by all the information being thrown their way from so many different medias.

attributes of effective with caregivers

Tell caregivers how & when you will communicate. 

  • Breakdown in communication sometimes occurs when caregivers have expectations that we don’t meet due to a lack of understanding. They may assume, based on their experience with a past teacher or general beliefs, that we will be sending daily emails or pictures. Our idea of consistent communication may differ greatly from theirs. Letting caregivers know what to expect, when to expect it, and how to expect it helps manage this.  
 

Communicate immediately & timely. 

  • Send an introductory letter or call when you find out who will be in your class. Include your work email, classroom phone number, and any other ways in which they can contact you.
  • Send a positive note or call sometime during the first 4 weeks of school.
  • Initial communications should be as positive as possible with specifics or examples. This establishes a positive rapport from which caregiver and teacher can use if and when they need to problem-solve later in the year.
  • Share with parents a timeline of when they should expect to hear from you if they contact you. Typical timeline for effective communication is no more than 1 work day/24 hours. This will allow a timely solution to be found when needed. Waiting too long can cause problems. 
  • Assure parents that you will inform them immediately about any concerns you might have 

 

Communication should always be welcoming, warm, encouraging, respectful, empathetic, clear & professional 

  • The better the communication, the fewer the misunderstandings. 
  • Go straight to the source. If you have a concern about a student or notice he/she struggles with something, talk to their parent/primary caregiver only. This is important to remember, especially when you share a mutual friend with a parent/caregiver in your class. Sometimes mutual friends, who are not the primary caregiver, will ask how a child is are doing & may even pick them up from school one day. If you are closer to that friend, you may be tempted to share. It is SO important to remember: information about their child is confidential. Word will almost certainly get around to the primary caregiver and a breakdown of trust is likely. Building trust is essential to establishing effective caregiver-teacher communication. 
  • When sharing a struggle that is happening – be professional, kind, & upfront. No one likes to be blindsided. 
  • Be accessible. While an open door policy can mean a lot of different things depending on where you teach, it is important to establish boundaries. This can look like letting caregivers know how best they should contact you and what your response time often looks like. Make sure boundaries are set and parents feel welcome.
  • Being warm and encouraging goes a long way. Smile, make eye-contact, & wave or shake hands (if it isn’t a pandemic/you feel comfortable). Encourage them to participate and invite them to be involved in various ways – from attending school events, volunteering in the class, to dropping off in-person.  

 

Communicate with the same consistency & frequency

  • Research shows when sharing information, it is vital that it is concise & clear. 
  • Put the important information (dates, reminders, etc) first and less important/more general information such as current units of study towards the end. 
  • Whole class updates and information should be shared at least 1 time a week
  • Individual updates and information should be shared as needed and at least 1 time a month
  • Communicating at the same consistency and frequency will help foster trust
 

Use useful forms of communication – Think before you send – does the information best fit the form of an email, text, call, or website post? Communicate in forms that work for caregivers. Find out what they prefer & stick to that.

  • E-mails: for individual, written contact. E-mails are important for situations that require or may require documentation. 

  • Posts on group/school websites: whole class messages, sharing documents such as newsletters or homework, asking for volunteers or materials, and sharing class pictures. Sharing class pictures should be done only using a secure resource. 

  • Texts: individual reminders or short messages such as quick, positive anecdote about their child

  • Calls: for sharing information that a parent needs to know before pick up. For example, if something happened during the day that the child might mention that night. 

    • More and more in society, text & e-mails are more frequently used over calls. If your call is not an emergency, it is important to let a caregiver quickly know that. One way to say this is “Hi this is Mrs./Ms./Mr. _______, _______’s teacher. Is ______ available? Hi ____. First, I want to let you know there’s no emergency or anything like that. I am calling to let you know _______.” 

  • Letters or notes:  for individual, written contact highlighting a special anecdote and thank you notes

  • In-person: informal conversations sharing positive anecdotes, asking about student’s hobbies/life events like weekend or afternoon activities, updates OR for formal conferences to share data, progress, discuss problem-solving

When needed, communicating about problems should use a problem solving approach

  • Identify the problem, share what strategies you have already used, their results, what new strategies you are considering_____ and/or brainstorm as many next steps as possible (depending on the situation), jointly evaluate the pros and cons, decide on a solution to try, put the solution into action, and review the solution after a period of time

  • Talk about concerns when they show up! Things rarely just go away

  • Prepare yourself for these conversations, try to schedule a time when the caregiver might be most available, discuss without judgement, explain what might be contributing, check what parents think about the issue and offer realistic strategies.
     

  • Communication should include valuing the caregiver’s point of view

    • Share your classroom goals and expectations with caregivers and ask them to do the same

    • Encourage caregivers to participate and share their strengths

    • Acknowledge involvement and express appreciation. Remember they took time out of their day to meet with you, sign up to volunteer, attend events, etc. A “thank you” note or gesture goes a long way and is often underestimated. 

    • Address common challenges that inhibit parent engagement such as scheduling conflicts or intimidating atmosphere

    • Don’t make assumptions about a student’s home life

    • Provide opportunities for parents to connect with the school – volunteer shifts, class events, parent-teacher committees

    • Provide opportunities for 2 way communication such as take-home folders, sharing your contact information

    When caregivers come to you…

    • Listen & try to put think about the situation from their point of view. Sometimes listening is all a caregiver needs.  

    • Remember your shared goal is supporting the student – this can help you avoid defensiveness or justifications. 

    Communication should have the goal of strengthening the partnership

    • Find and share the positives, be open, think before you speak

    • If you don’t know the right answer, you can always say “let me think more about that & get back to you tomorrow.” Don’t feel pressured to make important decisions, evaluations, or assessments in the moment.

    Communication should have follow-through

    • Both teachers and caregivers want to see that each other will do what they say they are going to do 

     

resources that foster effective communication

public campus websites

A website where the general public, especially prospective students, can easily learn about the campus philosophies, opportunities, and more

All-In-One communication app

A platform that allows various communication mediums to be shared all in the same space including both campus-wide communication as well as individual classrooms. These apps allow teachers to communicate text messages, posts, photos,  PDFs, & more. They also allow caregivers to comment & message. 

Some resources that do this:

seesaw

Program that allows students to privately, individually showcase their classroom work with their families in a way that only the teacher, caregiver, and student can see the work. It does include an optional way for students to share their work with one another. 

What Can administrators communicate to caregivers?

princiPAL days

Establish a good rapport with students and caregivers by creating a special day/time for students to visit their principal’s office for a few minutes. During this time, the students get to share with the principal something wonderful that they did during that week and get a sticker. Have the students write down their “share” on a piece of paper before they visit you. Sign or stamp your seal of approval on the paper so caregivers know their child saw you that day. Many students perceive the office as a “bad” place to be sent. This changes that! To manage this day, assign a day or time during which students can stop by. Then, have teachers pick 1-2 students who can stop by during that time. 

community advisory board

Gather a combination of community members, campus parents, administration, and teachers together each month to discuss current school happenings, challenges, stakeholder goals, brainstorm solutions, and more. 

newsletter

Send a school wide newsletter that includes important upcoming events, school happenings, school & staff accomplishments, and important announcements.

coffee with the principal

Invite caregivers to come grab a cup of coffee and talk with the principal. This open-forum can be structured or just a time for stakeholders to express their goals and dreams for the school with the principal. 

prospective tour

Host a tour for caregivers who may be interested in sending their child to your school. Show them around, highlight the unique characteristics about your school. 

greet everyone as they walk in

Help with arrival duty and greet families as they walk in. As able, say hello to the families & ask about how they are doing. 

what Can teachers communicate to caregivers?

weekly newsletters

These newsletters should include information on current instructional units being taught & important dates to remember. 


While it’s effective to write a newsletter from the teacher, an even more effective and engaging way to create newsletters is by having students create it. Each student picks a topic from the week/2 weeks/month. They write about it & pick a photo or draw an illustration to go with it. Have them type it straight onto a google doc you can send out as well as print and send home. Caregivers always want to SEE and HEAR from their kids about their life and what they’ve learned. Caregivers who have received these “class made” newsletters have reported that while the teacher created newsletters are good & often times read, the student made newsletters are always read.

sweet ancedotes

Caregivers love to hear sweet, positive, and funny anecdotes about their child. Sending a quick e-mail or sharing an anecdote at drop off or arrival fosters effective communication to create a partnership over a shared interest: the child. 

paper & electronic copies

Sending home a flyer that lists something important happening in the classroom? Share it electronically as well. That way if it gets lost or misplaced, they will still have the instructions. 

a personalized letter about their child

After getting to know their child during the first few weeks, sending a personalized letter about their child is one way to effectively communicate. This letter should be positive and share what their child is like as a learner & friend. While it does take some extra time and effort, this is a powerful and effective way to let caregivers know that you notice, value, & see their child. Many caregivers report that receiving a personalized letter about their child was so meaningful that it turned into a keepsake they kept for years!

conferences

Meeting in-person 1-2 times a year and as needed to share a child’s progress opens up an opportunity for conversations to expand into ways that the caregiver can engage in the child’s education including ways to problem solving any struggling areas, provide challenge for discuss teacher & parent goals for the child, allows caregivers to ask questions, etc.

volunteer sign-ups

Allow caregivers to sign up electronically to volunteer with your class. Use apps like livingtree, konstella, and sign up genius to make this possible. 

Volunteer ideas:

 

  • A monthly work room volunteer who comes in each week to help with copies, laminating, etc. 

  • Class party host/hostess

  • Field trip volunteer

pictures from a special activity

A picture is worth a thousand words. This efficient way to letting parents literally see what is happen in the classroom helps them feel like they are there too.. 

 

Consistency across campuses is helpful. Research shows that caregivers who have 1 teacher who posts photos frequently are disappointed or sometimes have a breakdown of communication when they have a teacher who does not post. 

 

Apps like LivingTree are a great way to share photos in one source. Just make sure to check with your school’s office to confirm that all the students in your class can have their photo taken. 

caregiver information meetings

Meeting with caregivers in-person at the beginning of the year, without any kids around, helps establish an effective partnership. Share with families who you are, your teaching philosophy, in what ways & how often you will communicate. Show caregivers that you value them by asking that they fill out paperwork that shares their perspective of and goals for their child as well as strengths & ways they would like to participate in the school community this year.

an incident from the day

There will be times when this comes up. It’s always important that a caregiver hears it from you first. This helps them have perspective when the child comes home so that they can best address how the child is feeling. Phone calls or in-person meetings allow this topic of communication to be most effective because it allows both people to hear the tone of the other. 

Want to Earn
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You've already done the first step!

Next up, spend some time reflecting on your current classroom practices. How do you already foster effective caregiver-parent partnerships?  How are your students impacted as a result of these partnerships? Let us know your thoughts. 

Just be sure to officially sign up for our Fostering Effective Caregiver Partnerships professional development course so that we can keep track of the communication and send you a certificate for your hard work! 

We know for a teacher like you, someone who seeks out the best instructional strategies to use in their classroom – 

you’re already planning on doing these steps anyways, so you might as well earn some professional development credits for it!

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