My Philosophy of Home/School Communication &

Family Involvement

Maintaining a positive line of communication with my students’ parents is another

aspect of teaching that I believe is extremely important. To accomplish this, I would

introduce myself prior to the year beginning via a newsletter, postcard, email or class

website. Then, as the year advances, I would send home monthly newsletters as well as

personalized postcards in order to continue this effort. I believe it is important to be

consistent, and it is through these experiences that I will progressively foster a genuine

and meaningful relationship with each of my students and their families.

Additionally, I truly believe in first initiating this line of communication by

conveying positive comments, observations and reflections regarding a child’s

performance – both academic and nonacademic. Creating this invaluable relationship

with parents will significantly help me approach areas of concern or growth as well. As

the year goes on, I would emphasize the positive accomplishments of a student along

with the areas of growth. My hope is that I will be able to build trust, respect and care

between myself and my students’ families. In order to promote improvement, you need to

be positive while also discussing ways to progress even further. By embracing a growth

mindset when addressing any issues or concerns that a teacher may have about one of

their students, the home support systems are much more open to listening. At the end of

the day, it is always important to remember that we are all on the same side and want the

same thing for our students – growth and success.

 With that in mind, I am a strong proponent of parental and family involvement

within my classroom. One way that I will do this is by encouraging family involvement

with any special performance, project or event that may be going on within my classroom

or the school. I truly value putting my students’ work on display for others to read and

appreciate. One way that I really love to accomplish this goal is by having a day at the

end of our units that is solely dedicated to a celebration. On these days, I will strongly

encourage parents and families to stop in to our class and sit with their child. Not only

will students be able to explain the processes that they engaged in as they developed their

piece, but their parents will also notice all of the hard work and effort that their child put

into their school work first-hand.