June 20, 2023
Good relationships between teachers and families are important in order for children to succeed. Teachers and families have an impact on children in a special way. When these positive efforts are combined, teachers and families can work as a team to help a child. Wonderful, supportive relationships between school and home can form when we rethink our own role. In the classroom, if we think of our role as not simply caring for and educating children, but as helping families get off to the right start, then our goals change. As parents, we should think of our role as the first, most important and long-lasting teacher our children will have. When teachers and families work together to share their knowledge and expertise, they form a partnership to help each child grow, learn, and succeed!
Here are ten ways to promote resilience using home and school partnerships:
- Learn about and respect the family and culture of those important people in children’s lives.
- Celebrate what the child and her family can do, drawing on strengths, interests, and abilities.
- Establish an ongoing system for exchanging information between school and home.
- Help ensure success at home and school by breaking regular tasks and routines into smaller, more manageable steps.
- Use a variety of strategies to ensure good communication and a partnership between school and home.
- Encourage children to talk about school happenings and happenings at home, as both environments help shape their worlds.
- Find and use healthy ways to reduce stress and avoid adding to the stress of others.
- Support each child’s relationship with all caring adults in her life.
- Encourage and support children as they learn to take care of their personal items and shared items in the home and school settings.
- In both home and school environments, model for children the skills and behaviors you hope they will learn to use themselves.
