Communication is vital for building strong relationships between the school and the student’s home. However, not all communication is created equal. Many teachers will email or call home when they need parent support in handling any behavior or academic struggles with a student. Studies show that there are many benefits to keeping open, two-way communication between home and school. One study suggests that increased two-way communication increases student engagement (Kraft and Dougherty, 2012).

What is Two-Way Communication?

Two-way communication includes interactive dialogue between parents and teachers. Unfortunately, two-way communication has been challenging to maintain in the past. Parents are busy, teachers are busy, and emails and phone calls often go unanswered. 

How to Communicate Effectively

• Respect- Remember, parents know their child better than anyone. They understand their child, how they learn, and what they need from you. Respect the role they play as their child’s first teacher. Respect the child and their family’s culture, language, beliefs, and learning priorities, even if they do not align with your own.
• Honesty- Be honest with the parents. How can they help you if they do not understand how much their child needs their help? Show concern and care, but do not sugarcoat their needs.
• Positivity- Make sure that you remain optimistic about the student regardless of how frustrated you may feel. You will receive more support from the family if you show that you care and want to see growth in their child. Communicate when their child has had success! Show excitement and joy in your student.
• Nonjudgmental- Be nonjudgmental. We are all individuals. Your students are diverse, and so are their families. Remove all judgment when communicating with parents and be an advocate for your student and their family.
• Jargon- Cut out the fancy jargon and just talk to the family about their child’s needs. You know all of the latest educational trends, but this is not always the first priority of the parents and families. So, communicate with families without using education jargon.
• Listen- It is so important to listen to the student and their family. Be open to their ideas. Remember, they know their child better than you ever could! So, keep communication open and be willing to try new ideas.
• Frequent Contact- Send messages often through Bloomz, respond as quickly as possible. Share newsletters and updates with weekly messages. Schedule messages so that you are not spending your valuable time composing posts each day. Stay in contact often and watch your relationship with your students’ parents blossom!

Today, we have Bloomz at our fingertips to keep the lines of communication open. How do you use Bloomz to improve two-way communication? Tell us in the comments!

References:

• The Effect of Teacher-Family Communication on Student Engagement: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment
• Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash