I got to know the importance of parent-teacher Communication after this real-life incident occurred.
My nephew, who is in his second class, had daily arguments with one of his classmates. Their parents had no idea about it as they do not regularly attend meetings or have proper conversations with teachers. One day, both fought so hard that my nephew got hit on the bench and immediately rushed to the hospital.
That incident scared us, but for God’s sake, he had no major injuries. This would not have happened if the parents had regular conversations with teachers. Just because of a lack of communication between the two parties, parents and teachers, this outcome was arrived at. This could be prevented if teachers had a conversation with the parents.
Anyway, the teacher and parents have learnt the lesson. They finally started conversations with each other. They also use some kind of school apps or conversation tools for parents and teachers to have effective conversations.
Also, read this article till the end to get tips for effective parent-teacher Communication that you will never get anywhere.
Children spend more of their time in school after spending a major part of their time at home. Parent-teacher Communication means the exchange of information about students to their parents. Also giving feedback or insights by teachers and vice versa.
This communication between two parties, parents and teachers, plays a vital role in the progress of students, not only academically but also socially. There are various forms of communication, such as attending conferences or parents’ meetings, and others using technology.
The importance of parent-teacher Communication
For teachers
Stronger relationship
I have a great example of it. You all watched the movie ‘Tare Zameen Par’, right? The character of a student named ‘Ishan Awasthi’ was not able to read and write properly as he was suffering from dyslexia in the movie.
All the teachers was thinking that he could never be a normal student and even they didn’t try to have a deep conversation with his parents about what or how he is feeling while doing homework
When Amir Khan came as a teacher and had a conversation with his parents on what exactly the problem he was facing while studying, he got to know the main issue. And the mystery behind his such weird behaviour was solved through conversation
At the end of the movie, a strong chemistry and relationship have been built between the teacher and the student. This is how communication between parents and teachers can create a strong relationship between students and teachers, which also increases student growth.
Effective classroom management
If teachers know every little detail of students then they can manage the classroom easily. Suppose there is a student who cannot concentrate on his studies or is not as participative as others; it would become difficult for teachers to manage such issues.
This can only be resolved if teachers have a conversation with parents and they share academic performance and other information with them so that parents can also help them understand at home and motivate them to participate in every activity in the school. This is how conversation with parents can be helpful for teachers to manage the class effectively.
For parents
Increase involvement
Due to busy schedules or some other commitments, parents cannot spend as much time with their child so they do not know how they are doing academically. In this situation, communication plays a vital role.
Through various forms of communication with teachers or schools, parents come to know how their child is learning the concepts and what skills they need to update. This communication between teachers and parents can increase the involvement of parents in students ‘ studies and other activities.
Greater understanding
Parents do not have much understanding of what and how their child learning new things and which activities they are interested in. With the help of communication with teachers, parents can have a greater understanding of their skill sets, how much time they took to learn any topic, and how motivated they are towards other activities in the school
Through this understanding, parents can do the same thing at home to enhance their child’s skills. So, that is why communication is important for parents too.
For students
Improve academic performance
Through communication between both the parents and the teachers, they can share their thoughts and information about students with each other. This shapes students’ overall growth and improves academic performance.
The role of technology in the communication
The traditional way of communication takes a lot of time and money to exchange thoughts, values, and information between both parties. Also, there was a threat of having misunderstandings between two or more people, a leak of messages, whereas modern ways of communication do not have this kind of fear.
Here, Technology plays a significant role, especially when someone has to send messages immediately. Technology offers many benefits in terms of reach and speed. There are many types of devices, such as smartphones, computers, and other digital tools, which make communication efficient.
Technology in communication has a positive effect on education as well as business. According to data reported by AIPRM, approximately 67.9% of the global population uses the internet and 63.9% are active social media users spreading information to more and more audiences across the world.
How technology can improve parent-teacher Communication
Technology provides many tools for effective communication between parents and teachers. It will also save time, improve engagement, and increase accessibility
E-mails for providing in-depth information
Generally, e-mails are the best source for sharing files like student progress reports, detailed information about any special events or programs, discussions on students’ behaviour, feedback on their academic performance, and other relevant information. In short, email helps to convey messages with proper details to the parents.
Video conferences for meetings
It is not possible for working parents to attend a parents’ meeting in person. So, technology has a solution for it. Through video conferences, parents can communicate face-to-face with the faculty. There are various tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams for conducting parent meetings.
Generating parent portal for parent-teacher Communication
For effective communication between parents and teachers, there is a need to generate a parent portal. This portal must have such features as instant messaging, a centralized communication log, grade & attendance tracking, an event calendar, and resource sharing. The portal should be user-friendly and secure as well. This is how the parent portal can significantly enhance communication.
Using communication apps For parent-teacher Communication
Use specially designed communication applications for teachers/schools and parents. Through such apps, quick messages can be shared and parents can get daily updates of students from teachers. There are such apps which I would recommend: ClassDojo, bloomz, Klassly, ParentSquare, brightwheel, and there are many more.
Communication strategies for teachers
Be available for parent calls and enquiries related to students and their studies. Also, be responsive to its academic journey and give timely
Take proactive action or reach to the parents proactively to share any concerns of students or their behavior and even sharing good news with them.
Be an active listener and have a deep conversation with parents to get insights about students. Along with it, allow parents to provide their feedback
Establish a positive relationship with parents and involve them in every success of their child.
Communication strategies for parents
• Parents should take the initiative towards teachers and start communication to avoid problems in the future.
• Must be specific about what they want from teachers to encourage students and boost their motivation.
• Try to focus on solving issues told by the
Tips for effective parent-teacher Communication
• Communicate regularly and clearly to avoid misunderstanding.
• Take regular updates about upcoming programs, progress reports, and attendance reports.
• Build trust through creating a positive atmosphere and making people feel comfortable while having conversations with each other.
• Utilize technology and tools for quick updates.
• Run workshops for parents to make them understand what their kids are learning and the support provided to them.
Technology solves the traditional communication hurdles. It just simplifies everything needed for having Clear and effective communication. Technology is the most convenient thing when it comes to Communication, especially between parents and teachers. If somehow parents cannot attend the meeting at the school, many online conference tools can make it happen.
Hi, I’m Chhaya. I am from Gujarat. I’ve completed my M.B.A. in Business Management from N.M.I.M.S—Mumbai. I have always had a keen interest in marketing and writing. I began my journey by applying my skills to support educational bodies and EdTech firms, and along the way, I have gained immense experience in this field.
With time, my interest in Education and the Ed-tech industry drew me to gain valuable experience by working with two Ed-tech companies. In short, I can be that go-to person if one needs to know about the Education and Ed-Tech scenario in India and understand the intricacies of the field.
Apart from this, my interests are reading and writing!
Feel free to ping me on my work email, chhaya@smaktech.com, to discuss my work at SmakTech or for any work-related queries!
