GTS 7.3.1
Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.
My artefact is an interview with a mentoring teacher (figure 7.3a) regarding her experience working with parents/carers and the advice she has for graduate teachers like myself. It reflects my understanding of strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidently with parents/carers through the unique and invaluable insights given by a highly experienced and regarded teacher that I work closely with and am able to observe. Ms Hurst emphasises the importance of forming strong and close, yet professional relationships with the parents/carers of her students. Some of the strategies she provides are holding meetings with parents/carers and students which involve feedback and essentially anything to follow up on issues that you as a teacher have made a point of addressing. Ms Hurst also stresses the importance of maintaining confidentiality and exercising a teacher’s duty of care, ensuring she is working sensitively with parents and maintains a high level of trust and integrity. Finally, in regards to working confidently, Ms Hurst asserts the need for professionalism and being self-assured at all times, as this will ensure a level of authority is sustained, so all issues - positive and negative - may be properly addressed. Hurst’s advice and guidance has considerably helped me in understanding the different ways I can continue to meet this standard as a graduate teacher.
Figure 7.3a - Interview with Ms Carmel Hurst
Why do you find it important to work with parents/carers in terms of learning AND student well-being?
Teaching is no longer about a teacher delivering content. Teaching now means empowering students to be the best person they can be so that they are given the skills they need to be lifelong learners. To do this, we need to ensure we have positive relationships with students and their families. Education is about the whole person, not just about academic knowledge and achievement, and this is why we need to work with parents/carers to help each child in our care reach their potential. We need parents to help us!
What is a strategy for working effectively with parents/carers?
Ensure you follow up on things you say you will:
Meetings with students.
Phone calls to liaise with parents post interviews.
Feedback on work samples or work completed at home.
Give parents time to get to know parts of you as a person not just as a teacher. I remember giving some parents at ASG a glimpse into Carmel - not Ms Hurst - at a school fete with my mum present. A turning point in my relationship with them for sure.
What is a strategy for working sensitively with parents/carers?
Maintain confidentiality at all times. Operate your duty of care to your student’s wellbeing on a ‘needs to know basis’. In small community schools, everyone knows everyone and I would hate to ruin a relationship with a parent and student (they are hand in hand) over a leaked sensitive issue
What is a strategy for working confidently with parents/carers?
Back yourself and parents/carers will see your confidence! I maintain a very professional relationship with the parents of students in my care. I never address a parent by their first name, they are always Mr or Mrs. I feel that this maintains a certain level of authority and ensures that parents see that I am capable of impartiality. First names build friendships and this becomes difficult when you need to speak to parents about difficult behaviours, questionable habits and learning challenges.I need to be confident that I can deliver what is in the best needs of my students. It’s not a strategy so much as an attitude to my role.
What is some advice you can give for a graduate teacher in involving and working with parents/carers? (e.g. Are there any issues you ran into in your first years of teaching? How did you manage them?)
It’s hard being a graduate teacher and I wouldn’t go back to it. You want to conquer the school and prove yourself. It will happen and humility goes a long way.
Upon reflection, as a graduate teacher, I was blessed to work in a low socio-economic area in a school where parents valued and appreciated any type of help their children were given. However, they held teachers high up on a pedestal and never disagreed with us, especially when their children were in the wrong. This worked both to my advantage and disadvantage. I learnt the power of words in the classroom and the impact these could have on students. I learnt to tread lightly when dealing with this type of parent when dealing with negative student behaviour, as it was sometimes interpreted in ways I never perceived possible.
In the day of keyboard warriors, the only advice I am desperate to give graduate teachers, about dealing with parents/carers, is to ensure you never put anything into print that you wouldn’t say to a parent/carer in a meeting. Parents often want to get things off their chest and teachers can be the target if their child is upset. In this circumstance, read the email. Close the email and respond in the morning. Everyone will have calmed down and the anger should no longer be a raging inferno.
Another experience that I have had with this standard is in my participation in the ‘Inclusive Education’ subject at UTS. This subject particularly resonated and continues to resonate with me as it greatly contributed to my teaching philosophy. As mentioned in my educational philosophy, I place a great emphasis on inclusive practice and equity in my pedagogy, underpinning all of my lessons and teaching activities. Involving parents/carers of students with special needs is especially important, as these students present unique requirements and learning styles which parents/carers are aware of. Thus, involving parents/carers through close communication and perhaps weekly reports (see table below) on the student’s progress and performance, including any positive or negative events that occurred, would be a fantastic strategy in actively involving these parents/carers. This would all contribute to forming a highly supportive network for these students, maximising their learning and educational experience.
Empirical research emphasises the need for teachers to work effectively, sensitively and confidently with parents/carers. As stated by Epstein (2011), the educative process of each student involves partnership between parents/carers, the school and teachers, as well as other members of the student’s support network. Each of these three qualities must therefore be understood by teachers, which are well communicated by Whitton et al. (2015, chapter 20):
Effective: working effectively with parents/carers means regular communication, thoughtful preparation and establishing relationships early, building these partnerships as the student grows and develops
Sensitive: working sensitively with parents/carers means being able to carefully manage things like difficult and confronting conversations using prepared steps, as well as consulting with supervising and experienced colleagues. It also requires a clear understanding of the unique values and attitudes of each parent/carer, recognising and appreciating their diversity.
Confidently: working confidently with parents/carers means the teacher is well-informed of both the student’s needs and strengths, as well as having a strong professional learning background that has equipped them with the necessary tools and resources to communicate with parents/carers and improve learning experiences.
Brown et al. (2014) summarise the need for this by outlining the positive impact of partnering with parents/carers , increasing relevance as well as broadening and strengthening the school community. Thus, it is clearly important that teachers possess the three qualities of working effectively, sensitively and confidently, to ensure that parents/carers feel adequately informed and supported, maximising the students’ learning and school experience.
IMPACT STATEMENT
During my practicum, I taught a year 7 ‘structured’ mathematics class, which included students that had very low literacy and numeracy abilities, as well as identified needs and some students also on the Life Skills Curriculum.
This combination of class characteristics meant that behaviour management was a major issue that I was faced with.
I quickly noticed that these behavioural issues were prevalent due to the students’ low self-perception of their abilities, resulting in lack of, or complete absence of, effort and engagement in lessons and homework.
Upon observation of the students and their interactions, I noticed that there was a negative dynamic due to some of the students making negative comments and remarks towards some of their peers as well as a huge lack of respect for their teachers.
I arranged to speak with the parents of these students on the phone, to make them aware of their children’s actions in the classroom. This was a very important step in improving behaviour of the entire class, as having the parents aware and onboard meant that additional support and reinforcement was offered at home.
I followed this engagement with parents/carers, with one-to-one discussions with the students, in which I asked questions like “How do you best learn in Maths?” and “What are some positive comments we can make towards our peers”. I also reminded these students of the school rules regarding behaviour in the classroom both towards peers and towards staff, and the consequences of both negative and positive behaviour.
This created a sense of accountability and discussion and agreement which I could refer back to if behavioural issues reoccurred.
After this, a much more peaceful and positive classroom environment was formed, in which students were engaged in the activities and felt comfortable to take academic risks. Students were visibly calmer and more empowered in their abilities and skills, as seen in the student and parent feedback below.
Miss Ageras called me to discuss my son's struggles in his maths lessons because he felt ashamed due to comments being made by his peers. She addressed this immediately and ensured those students stopped picking on him. She also spoke with him to figure out his learning style and this made him feel very supported and instantly more confident in maths.
Parent
Miss A took the time to ask me about how I like to learn and I like using videos where she makes us write and do the questions at the same time. This helped me understand algebra better because it was hard for me before.