Watch this short video on partnering with parents. Video must be watched entirely to progress through the course. You do not need to watch any recommended videos at the end.
Effective communication with families is an important part of the family-teacher relationship. Effective communication is a way to build understanding and trust with families. Once you better understand and trust each other, working together to support the child’s development will be much easier.
At the foundation of effective communication is respect for families. Respect should be included for every family’s:
religious and cultural background, values, beliefs, and languages.
parenting arrangements – for example, blended families, co-parenting, single-parent family, and LGBTIQ+ families.
parents’ and children’s gender and preferred pronouns.
choices – for example, where families live, whether their houses are tidy or what their children are wearing.
circumstances – for example, parents with disabilities, teen parents, families experiencing challenges.
Respectful communication with families might mean (raisingchildren.net, 2021):
using preferred pronouns with parents and children.
using plain language and avoiding professional jargon.
using interpreters, if you speak a different language than the family.
making sure that your printed resources show images of diverse families.
Want some more information?
Check out this video about Finley’s Parent Teacher Conference.
