Building partnerships - working with teachers
Good relationships between parents and teachers ensure that children receive appropriate support at school.
Teachers and parents should make every effort to relate better to each other.
The key components for building healthy relationships are:
- a need for all other stages in the partnerships to work together
- getting to know each other
- determining parents/teachers aspirations
- agreeing how to work together
- establishing genuine trust to enable openness and challenge
- teachers building parents' self-esteem and confidence; parents showing confidence in their child's class teacher/school.
Teachers should also:
- predict and prepare for any possible barriers
- set a date for reviewing the child's progress
- set out the agreement in an 'action plan' for the child
- support the parents in their role (for example, encouragement, praise and give feedback).
Parents and teachers should agree a reviewing progress:
- individual parents and teachers should meet to evaluate the progress with regard to the agreed actions and intended outcomes
- teachers should recognise the parent's contribution
- an agreement should be reached about what needs still have to be met
- revise the agreed actions and intended outcomes as appropriate
- set a new date for reviewing progress.