Many teachers have probably read the quote by Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Although he penned this excellent advice in the context of a 1735 article about protecting towns from fire, it is certainly applicable to many other situations—including relationships and interactions between teachers and parents.
In our book, Teaching with Love and Logic, chapter 10 is titled, “Success with Challenging Parents.” Although this chapter is full of guidelines to help teachers who are dealing with challenging parents, the last part of the chapter contains practical advice, similar to Franklin’s, for avoiding these challenging interactions: “It makes practical sense that most of our efforts ought to go toward fire prevention.”
Building Positive Parent-Teacher Relationships
What does this mean for teachers? We believe that being proactive and building positive teacher-parent relationships will go a long way to helping teachers and parents work together when problems arise with students. Here are some general guidelines from the book that can help teachers avoid unpleasant confrontations.
Build Relationships Before Problems Develop
When a class is relatively small (a rarity these days), teachers can begin a school year by contacting each student’s parents. Because this is not always possible, we recommend reaching out to parents of students who might show signs of needing more attention in the classroom. Also, teachers who develop positive relationships with their students might expect them to share these positive feelings about their teacher to their parents.
Communicate How You Operate Before Your Students Do
Send a letter to all the parents of the students in your class and explain your philosophy and how you will run your classroom. If you have taken the Love and Logic training for educators, you can share the Love and Logic rules for running a classroom (these are also given in the Teaching with Love and Logic book).
Avoid Notifying Parents About Problems Via Text or Email
When you need to communicate with parents about a problem with their child, avoid using texts, emails, and internet meetings. These simply are not effective. We believe that only face-to-face meetings are required for solving problems that involve emotional issues around kids.
Provide Love and Logic Parenting Classes
Many schools provide Love and Logic parenting classes for the parents in their school community. When kids are exposed to the principles and techniques of Love and Logic at home as well as at school, they benefit greatly from the consistency and power of the Love and Logic approach. If your school does not have the curriculum, there might be Love and Logic Independent Trainers in your area who can provide these classes.
Support for Teachers Facing Classroom Challenges
Teachers are overwhelmed these days with classroom management issues. We hope the tips outlined in this blog, as well as the additional insights and guidelines contained in the Teaching with Love and Logic book, can help you manage this important part of your teaching career—developing positive relationships with the parents of your kids.
Thanks for reading!
