According to Parent Teacher Education Connection, a resource of educational communication, the foundation of parent-teacher communication relies on a concept known as the "Four Ps": positive, personalized, proactive and partnership. For the teacher, being positive involves communicating student achievements to parents. This will help change any pre-existing perception that parent-teacher communication is only for when a child gets in trouble. Eliminating this perception can help make parents eager to communicate with you.
Personalizing communication helps get the attention of parents. For example, parents tend to be more engaging if you address a letter directly to them, rather than "Parent/Guardian." Being proactive includes addressing concerns to a child's parents in order to prevent academic problems. For instance, as a teacher you will want to notify parents if their child becomes withdrawn from his peers, as the child's isolation could be a precursor to declining grades.
The Ministry of Education and Parent Teacher Education Connection both recognize the importance of partnership in educational communication. In this context, partnership refers to working together as equals, rather than in a hierarchical system, for developing a child's classroom environment. The Ministry of Education notes partnership can be created by having parents help teachers develop a school's ethos. In day-to-day communication, Parent Teacher Education Connection recommends encouraging parent-teacher partnership by creating opportunities for parents to share feedback, like leaving space on letters for parents to write back to the teacher. Parent-teacher partnership works best when parents prove to be well informed on their child's schooling.
While your child's teacher has the responsibility to make sure you remain informed on your child's education, you, as a parent, also have responsibility in keeping your child's teacher informed on any issues which might affect your child's classroom performance, such as a split from your spouse or a serious illness in the family. By being informed on these types of issues, your child's teacher can adapt to best meet the needs of your kid.
Benefits of effective parent-teacher communication include allowing your child to reach his fullest potential. This occurs by working together on developing strategies to improve grades. For instance, if your child struggles in math, you and your child's teacher might decide to use flashcards to improve her math skills. Additionally, according to Parent Teacher Education Connection, communication serves as the number one factor in establishing trust between you and your child's teacher.
Obstacles to effective parent-teacher communication can come from the parent or teacher side. Parental obstacles may include work schedule conflicts, as well as time and transportation issues. For instance, a work schedule conflict can prevent you from being able to attend a parent-teacher conference. Obstacles on the teacher's side may include time restrictions caused by other classes. An example of how communication obstacles can hinder parent-teacher communication includes your work schedule prohibiting you from being able to be a parental aide on your child's class field trip. Your child's teacher might feel like you don't want to get involved, creating hostility between the two of you.