Summary
The issue of parents-teachers communication is very crucial in the development of children both academically and socially. The way parents and teachers relate considerably affects the performances of children in school. The performances of children whose parents are always in touch with teachers perform well in academics and other areas. Good parent-teacher relationship promotes a lot to the high self-esteem of children, which makes them to be confident in whatever they do as they grow; leading them to be responsible and industrious people in maturity.
It is therefore, obligatory for both parents and teachers to ensure that they set clear mechanisms that would permit frequent communication between them. There are a number of ways that a parent can use to ensure that he/she is aware of the progress of his/her children in school, (Munn, 2000). For instance he/she could be participating in certain programs in the school, regular visits to the school to share with teachers how the children are doing, and regular calls to the school. All these will enable teachers and parents to work together as partners in guiding the children as they grow up.
Analysis of the issue.
This is a very important topic because it sheds light on why parents and teachers should come together to ensure a child is accorded a conducive environment as she/he develops. It is important to note that children always show good progress in school when parents and teachers work closely together. Good communication between parents and teachers on the kind of teachings they offer to children, helps these children to succeed both in life and in academics. For example, after teaching on a certain topic which can be practically applied in life, it is important for the teacher to pass this information to the parents so that the parents can find ways of creating an environment which will enable the child to put into practice in real life what he learnt in school, (Horn, 2006). As such, the child will be motivated to learn more about his world. Besides, when parents informs the teacher what they teach their children at home, it will help the teacher to will know how to handle children at school in building the character of these children on how to relate to other people.
Personally, I feel that parent-teacher communication is very crucial in developing future generations who are well build in all aspects of life. Some of the benefits of good communication between teachers and parents include; good academic performance, positive behavior and attitudes, and more effective schools. Besides the common teacher/ parent conferences, there are other ways in which parents and teachers can communicate between themselves, (Mandel, 2008). This can also be done for instance, through participation of the parent in school activities where teachers and parents get an opportunity to interact, arranging meetings at the beginning of the school year which helps the teacher to understand both the parent and the child, and regular phone calls and visits to classroom which facilitates cooperation between parents and teacher, thus, parents get informed of the progress of their child at school.
This article can be of help to both parents and teachers due to a number of reasons. In the first place, it helps them to experience the power of teacher-parent communication in developing responsible individuals. This is because parents and teachers work together as partners in the child’s education. Another thing is that, it highlights how parents and teachers can be communicating effectively from time to time hence, contributing to better development of children both socially and academically, (Horn, 2006). Lastly, it shows the importance of the roles that teachers and parents play in a child’s life. For instance, by learning how to improve parent-teacher communication has been of great help to the parents who now get involved in the education of their children has they become aware of what their kids do hence, they are in a position to assist their children with their schooling.
It is important that continued research on this issue, that is, parent-teacher communication be carried. Knowledge on how to improve methods of communication between teachers and parents should be developed. For instance, production of newsletters by the school can ensure that parents are updated on a regular basis of the progress of their children in school, (Munn, 2000). Moreover, extension of knowledge in this area would lead to development of new systems in schools as per the changing needs of children caused by the dynamic nature of the world.
Finally, the connection that I can make between this information and our class discussion is that both emphasize they importance of communication. Communication necessitates smooth running of activities any organization by reducing conflicts which may arise due to disagreement on ideologies, (Mandel, 2008). It is important that teachers and parents agree on a common goal to ensure that they do not conflict in the process of raising children. Therefore, it could be very beneficial for us as students to put into practice what we learn in our coursework in real life so that can be both theoretically and practically informed.
References
Horn, A. (2006). “Making Parents Part of the Team”. Parent Teacher Communication. 5 (1),
75-167.
Mandel, S. (2008). The Parent-Teacher Partnership: How to Work Together for Student
Achievement. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.
Munn, P.(2000). “Accountability and Parent-Teacher Communication”. British Educational
Research Journal, 11 (2), 105-115
