Positive communication: The way a person expresses himself affects the kind of response that he gets. When shared in positive language, even a piece of unwelcomed news is received in a positive way. Similarly, it affects the conversation in the classroom between teacher and student and between teacher and students’ parents. This article focuses on the latter.

Clear communication between teacher and parent has several benefits. Firstly, it builds trust between both parties. When a problem arises, good communication becomes necessary to resolve it. And, strong communication may sometimes prevent a problem from occurring. Also, when there is a regular conversation between teachers and parents, there will be clarity between both the parties regarding the performance and progress of the student, student’s behavior and any sudden changes in them.

How can teachers communicate effectively with parents?

To communicate effectively with the parents of their students, teachers can implement the following three basic practices.

• Back to School Communication
• Weekly Updates
• Personal and Positive Communication

1. Back to School Communication

When the new session is about to begin, it is a good idea to send a welcome communication via mail, SMS or a letter. This might include a positive and encouraging message for the students and parents, names of the teachers and their contact numbers, kind of study materials that would be shared throughout the year, etc. The teacher should remember to share how happy they are to welcome the students and build a community with bright minds. This will initiate a positive and mutual relationship between teachers, students and parents.

• Updates

Parents are always interested in knowing about their child’s performance, behavior etc. It is a good idea to keep your students’ parents updated with what happened in the classroom, how is their child performing, what is the next plan etc. weekly or every fortnight. This update can be sent via email or can be made available on the classroom website.

These updates might include suggestions for parents as well. Suppose your next lesson is about the environment and our surroundings. You may ask the parents to take their child for a walk and help them in looking around them and pointing out the things that they see.

Teachers should share positive news with the students’ parents in the form of notes, e-mails or phone calls. This helps in establishing a good connection between parents and students. Later on, if you have to share any academic or behavioral change with them, they will be more receptive to the talk. Usually, the family of a child receives a call from a teacher only if there is some bad news to share so imagine how surprised will be the parents on receiving a call for some good news.

• Personal and Positive Communication

Now, as the connection has been established, it is equally important to be aware of the language that you use to share the news; be it good or bad, to the parents. Remember that the initial conversation between your and your student’s family should not be about

their child’s behavior or academics, it should be about their positive trait.

We all should understand how strong the power of positivity is. We must learn to use this positivity while communicating with people.