Parent-teacher partnership is essential to supporting students’ thriving in school. In this blog post, I share ten tips on how teachers can build rapport with parents.
1. Start early
You want to build rapport with parents early in the school year. One way to do this is to send a Meet The Teacher Packet home. Additionally, Meet The Teacher Night and Back to School Night are great opportunities to meet families in person and open the line of communication.
2. Get to know the students and parents
To build rapport with parents, take the time to learn about the families’ backgrounds and values. Ask parents what their hopes and dreams are for their students. This will help you design individualized strategies to support the students and families as needed.
3. Declare your intent
Let parents know you want to partner with them and value their input and support. Share with them that families’ cooperation is the key to the success of our students.
4. Assume positive intent
Parents and families always have the best intentions for their students. While that may not always align with your professional perspective, it is essential to assume positive intent when building and maintaining rapport with families.
5. Pick a channel for communication
To make communication with parents sustainable as the school year progresses, choose a way to communicate with families that works for you. Examples of communication can be physical newsletters, emails, or ClassDojo messages.
6. Communicate regularly
Regular communication is vital to building rapport with families. Once you have picked a communication channel, you want to commit to a schedule that works for you. I have had success with a weekly communication schedule.
7. Set boundaries
It is no news that teachers wear many hats and have a lot on their plates. To avoid burnout and maintain consistency while building rapport with parents, set boundaries and stay true to them.
8. Start with good news/student successes
Sometimes, you need to communicate directly with individual families—perhaps due to an incident involving the student or a concern about the student. In these situations, always lead the conversation with good news or student successes. Putting yourself in the families’ shoes, you will likely avoid communication with the teacher if all you hear are complaints and bad news. By starting with good news and student successes, families are more likely to put their guard down and build rapport with you.
9. Accommodate language differences
You likely work with families whose first language is not English. It is essential to address these language differences to maintain rapport with these families. Offering translation services or materials in multiple languages allows families to participate in their students’ educational success actively. Your school district likely provides these services; connect with your site administrators to learn more.
10. Involve parents in the classroom
Do you need parent volunteers to help out in your classroom? Parent volunteers may be able to help with read-alouds, party planning, or completing special projects. Allowing families to enter the classroom opens the door to parent-teacher partnerships.
