Building Family Partnerships and Learning Communities, Essay Example

One of the primary ways in which misunderstandings can occur between parents and teachers is when basic communication is impeded by language barriers.  The attitude that a teacher takes when trying to work with parents who are not fluent English speakers will determine the type of relationship that will grow between teachers and parents.  For example, if a parent struggles to make him or herself understood and a teacher responds with impatience or irritation, this may cause the parent to feel as if he or she is not valued and that their input regarding their child is unimportant.  One way to overcome this would be to evaluate whether there are resources available for the school in terms of interpreters or translation services.  Additionally, while a student should not be misused as a ‘go-between’ he or she may be able to interpret between parent and teacher so that both ‘sides’ recognize that they have a shared interest in providing learning experiences to the child in question.

Communications between parents and teachers may also break down if the teacher does not make an effort to understand the cultural background of her students.  This may lead to some parents perceiving that their family/culture are unimportant, especially during holidays like Christmas and Easter when classroom celebrations may include some cultures while excluding others.  While time constraints may limit the teacher’s ability to understand each family’s background in depth, the relationship between teacher and parent can be improved when the teacher looks at parents as a potential educational resource.  Simply asking parents to explain their culture’s celebrations to the class may make them feel more involved in the educational process while also enabling both teacher and students to learn from their experiences.

References

Edwards, P.A. (2003). Children’s literacy development: Making it happen through school, family, and community involvement. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.