Strategies for Building Strong Partnerships with Students and Parents as Preschool Teacher
Posted On March 31,2023
Being a preschool teacher is busy and full of lesson plans and hands-on activities. It’s easy to overlook the one group that can offer significant support to preschool teachers—parents and caregivers! A strong relationship with your students’ families allows you to share concerns and work together to help students thrive. Consider these strategies below for building better connections with students and parents:
Smile When You See Family Members
Most parents only occasionally interact with teachers, so make sure your interactions are positive, warm, and friendly. Smile when you see parents or caregivers and greet them. Learn their names, how they pronounce them, and how they like to be addressed. A small kind gesture like this goes a long way.
Tell Parents What You Need
Parents and caregivers aren’t mind readers. Sometimes when teachers get frustrated about a lack of support or help in the classroom, they haven’t reached out and asked for help. Tell parents and caregivers that you want to partner with them, appreciate their help and support, and look forward to working with them. Consider sending out a volunteer sign-up sheet, weekly email, or newsletter letting parents know what you need. You might be pleasantly surprised by the response.
Communicate Frequently in Various Forms
If possible, provide information about what’s going on in your class weekly. Keep parents informed about what their students are learning or recently accomplished. Find forms of communication that work for everyone involved, including phone calls, emails, a Google document, or even a family folder that the student can carry from school to home each day.
Lead with Good News
Give positive news first when calling parents or meeting with them in person to discuss a concern. Every kid has unique qualities, so be sure to recognize and share them. Then share your concern. Adhering to this rule can help lessen the chance of a parent or caregiver becoming defensive immediately.
Don’t Forget to Thank Parents
Acknowledging parents and caregivers, individually and publicly, for their support is essential. This can be as simple as adding a quick thank you to your weekly newsletter. Recognize what they do to help your class and how it’s positively impacting students.
Imagine Yourself in Their Shoes
Building relationships with families starts with empathy and compassion. Consider the perspective of a parent whose child was recently diagnosed with a learning disability. The family might be uncertain about what this means for their child’s future. They might be fearful that their child won’t receive the proper support. Or they might still be processing the news and unsure how they feel. Or perhaps the child has never been away from their parent or caregiver before, and they are struggling with the separation. Or consider maybe challenging situations going on at home, like a divorce. Whatever your students’ families are going through, ensure they know you’re there to help and support them.
Are You Interested in Teaching Preschool?
If you are interested in becoming a teacher, Athena Career Academy can help. We offer a comprehensive Early Childhood Education (ECE) program dedicated to preparing you for a rewarding, successful career in early childhood education. You will learn how to educate, encourage, and inspire young learners, and cultivate a lifelong love of learning in your students. Contact us today to learn more.