Why is it Important for Educators to Partner With Parents and Caregivers?
Research shows that when there is a strong and consistent home-to-school partnership, students' long-term outcomes greatly improve. Partnering with parents and/or caregivers means they are invited to be actively engaged in academic and non-academic activities, there are open lines of communication, and there is a collaborative team effort working towards the students’ goals and growth.
Utilize the Open Parachute Caregiver Resources to Encourage Well-being Practices at Home
One of the most effective resources for partnering with parents and caregivers is our Caregiver Resource Library. Open Parachute provides a comprehensive library of caregiver resources under the “Educators & Caregivers” section of the dashboard.
This library contains resources for parents and caregivers of students of all ages who face various challenges and need to build various skill sets. This entire library can be shared with families of students; parents/caregivers do not need a login to access this resource. Alternatively, educators can share an individual lesson by clicking into the lesson and selecting “share lesson”:
These caregiver resources could be strategically sent to individual parents/caregivers or to all families in a weekly classroom or campus newsletter. Educators have the autonomy to utilize this library as needed, to meet the unique needs of students and families in their classroom.
Promote Consistent and Honest Communication
One of the most impactful methods of building trust with parents and caregivers is maintaining consistent and honest communication throughout the school year. This includes keeping families informed about their child’s behavior, academic performance, and well-being. Communication methods should be varied, including phone calls, emails, newsletters, and quarterly parent-teacher conferences.
Create Shared Strategies and Goals at School and Home
It is critical that parents/caregivers and educators are aligned in using the same strategies at school and at home. This keeps expectations and routines predictable for students. Parents and caregivers can meet with educators at the beginning of the school year to discuss what works best for the student in both environments, and then a commitment is made to implement consistent strategies in both locations. For example, if there is a behavioral chart that works well, educators can use it at school, and parents and caregivers can reinforce it at home.
Additionally, in this same meeting at the beginning of the year, educators and parents/caregivers can discuss the student's short—and long-term goals. This helps all parties align their daily actions and verbiage when interacting with the student. For example, educators, parents, and caregivers can collaboratively set academic and non-academic goals for each grading period.