How Parent-Teacher Partnership Can Help A Child To Develop and Learn In A Better Way

Raising a child is no less than a challenge for parents. It requires a good amount of effort and sacrifice. Parents give their best to help their children succeed in school. They appoint teachers, help children in finishing their homework and memorize the taught topics. In addition to this, parents make sure their child doesn't fall sick and misses school. Well, there is one more thing that can help children to perform well in the school and that is known as parent-teacher partnership.

It is a relationship in which parents and teacher work together to discuss a child's progress and find out a way to help the child in dealing with the challenges faced during learning. When there is a good relationship between parents and child's teacher, there can be regular communication about the learning issues of the child.

How Parent-Teacher Partnership Works

There are three angles to parent-teacher relationship.

How parents get benefited: Nobody knows a child better than his/her parents. When parents work together with the child's teacher, they can support the child's learning in a better way as both parents and teachers have the common goal to provide the best learning experience to the child. When parents partner with the child's teacher, they get a better understanding of the child's learning graph.

Parents can always share their concerns regarding the performance of the child. These concerns can be the one which the teacher is not able to see. Moreover, at home children share what is happening at school and the problems they (children) are facing. Parents can talk about these with the teacher along with what else is happening with the child at home.

While talking to Boldsky, Anu, a working woman in Patna said, "Working together with my daughter's teacher helps me to gauge my child's performance. Whenever my daughter is frustrated with any lesson, I am able to know the same. After this, I and her teacher are able to discuss and find out a way to help my child."

How teacher gets benefited: For teachers, it becomes easier to understand the issues faced by a child during the learning process. For example, when a teacher assigns homework to children and wants to know if children are able to do the homework or if they become frustrated at home, the partnership can help the teacher to know the matter.

Since the time spent by the teacher with the child is limited, the parent-teacher partnership can help the teacher to get more insights about the child.

The more the teacher gets to know about a child, the better and a personalized learning experience can be provided to the child.

For example, if a child is struggling to write and the teacher knows the child is interested in animals and is fond of using colourful notebooks, then the teacher can utilize this information to promote writing and drawing skills in the child.

How child gets benefited: The environment of school and home differs in many ways. But when the child feels that home and school are both providing him/her the environment to perform well, the child will surely get benefited.

It gets easier for the child to work when parents and teachers have common expectations and goals. The child doesn't get confused. He/she will feel comfortable to ask for help in the school and will talk about his problems without any fear or hesitation.

How To Have A Partnership With Your Child's Teacher

Approach with respect: This partnership is equally important for both parents and teachers. Parents should respect the teachers and teachers should reciprocate the same. Instead of asking 'what's wrong', parents and teachers should sit together and discuss the challenges faced by the child. Afterwards, a mutual decision can be taken to help the child to achieve success in learning.

Let your child develop his relationship with the teacher: A teacher is the first person with whom a child develops his/her first relationship other than family members. A child will see his/her teacher as someone who is ready to help and support him/her with the tough lessons.

Parents should understand how a teacher is handling their children. Trusting the teacher is highly important for parents to develop a healthy parent-teacher relationship.

Avoid bragging: For every parent his/her child is the best in the world. This might be true but bragging over your child's accomplishments is not good. The teacher might think, 'the child doesn't need my guidance and support or if I am not good enough for the child.'

One doesn't need to sell his/her child to teachers as this might affect your child's performance.

Deal with the problem together: Not every kid enjoys a transition from school to home and vice versa. Most of the kids show disagreement to go to school or might complain about getting bored in school.

Some parents blame the teachers instead of talking with the teachers at the school. Sometimes schools too put the whole blame on parents for childrens' hostile behaviour. Playing the blame game is not a solution when dealing with children. Teachers and parents should work together on this matter. A phone call can also be a good way to solve things.

Both teachers and parents need to help each other. There are times when a teacher wants homework help from parents. Similarly, parents too need help from teachers to make the best out of the child's capability. However, the goal is the same for both the parents and teachers to make the child responsible and successful. Therefore, parent-teacher partnership can be of great help for both parents and teachers.