When it comes to schooling, adults always want the best for their children, whether they’re teachers or parents. But with today’s busy lifestyle, it can be hard to stay involved with what’s going on in your child’s classroom.
The reality is that kids spend a huge amount of time at school. For many, it becomes a second home. Good parent-teacher relationships help you to know how your child is doing, and address any issues to help them flourish.
Here are some of the top benefits of strong parent-teacher communication:
Academic Success
Multiple studies have shown that positive parent-teacher relationships can have incredible impacts on students’ education.
Not only do these relationships help foster a child’s sense of confidence in their academic capabilities, but they’ve been shown to result in better grades, higher interest in learning, and more overall competence.
When parents take an interest in what a child is learning, it helps that child to feel supported both in and out of the classroom. And that helps children feel both invested in their schooling, and willing to do the work needed to succeed.
Social Skills
Your relationship with a child’s teacher demonstrates the trust you have in him or her, and implicitly reinforces your child’s trust in the teacher as well.
That trust creates a sense of security for your children, because the adults who are most present in their lives are working together and doing what is best for them.
This translates into their social life with other children around them, as they mirror the positive attributes they see between parent and teacher toward their peers. This has been proven to encourage positive social behaviors, as well as minimize negative ones.
Keeping In The Loop
Positive parent-teacher relationships are based on good communication, and having that relationship makes communication easier. But it can be difficult to keep track of everything going on in the classroom, especially when you have your own life to balance.
Thankfully, technology is making it easier to keep in touch with one another. For example, the parent-teacher app Klassroom helps families to keep on track with assignments, school events, field trips, and other important dates.
Teachers can provide updates on a regular basis, and include parents in the planning of classroom activities. Additionally, parents and teachers can connect and devise methods for supporting children in their individual needs.
Making Unexpected Events Easier
Things happen unexpectedly, so when there is a family emergency or an incident at school, a well-developed parent-teacher relationship can make sudden situations easier on children, parents, and teachers.
It can be helpful for teachers to understand how your family typically operates, and how a difficult time may change your daily life.
The opposite scenario is also true; if something happens in the classroom, support from parents can help children to still feel safe and secure.
Positive parent-teacher relationships have consistently been shown to be beneficial in a child’s school success, as they create the optimal learning environment for students.
Ideally, try to choose a school that encourages strong communication, and then work to build a parent-teacher relationship that will help your child to thrive.