Foster School-Family Cooperation
Challenges
micro-managing
Disinterested/absent
make it easier to connect
conduct home visits
provide support services
child care
counselling
find out why (busy, multiple jobs, conflicts, poverty)
View diversity as strengths
find out key relationships(might not be "parents")
inclusive language
inclusive of language, culture
"Names for parents/guardians" vs. "Mom's name/Dad's name"
"Dear families" vs. "Dear parents"
Make school parent-accessible
parents as guest speakers
volunteer opportunities
Evening drop-in English corner for parents
Parent/Guardian Academies
Parent-led
educational seminars
identity development
learning difference
bullying prevention
Films
Be available
"Be informed"Not "flood of information"
Why?(Benefits)
parents lack knowledge/ability/language to help
sustaining change
community support
student motivation
student achievement
classroom managment
Communication content
Student-created content
what students learned
Central location
Video-recorded lessons
Homework assigned
Weekly updates: announcements, special events
Class recap
Best practices
Don't's
Rely on expensive computers. Mobile-first
Parent as flipped lesson teacher
Parent as enforcer
Family Playlists(learn by teaching)
Family activities
Student/community performances
Games nights
Multicultural events
Family picnics
Family pot lucks
Family interviews
Student-ledclass newspaper
checks curriculum outcome: writing
sports schedules, upcoming events like picture day and prom, school news, and classroom topics.
leave contact number
Home visits
Parent-Teacher Conferences
find common ground
student attend PTC too
Ask students question to answer for parents
open house
do early/start of year
communicate expectations
Report the small positives
spurs positive conversation b/w students-parents
avoid"How was school today?""Fine."
builds productive T-P foundation to be more receptive to negatives
Timely
quick to do
focus on the pro-social behaviour
get to know student survey for parents
update they most value
ask how they prefer to be communicated with
child's strengths, challenges and lives outside of school
