Topic 5 Reach out to parents


Advantages	E-mail	Face- to-face	Phone	Text messaging
Easy	++	++	+	+++
Quick	++	+	++	+
Convenient	++	++	+	+++
Easily accessible	++	+	+	+++
Written documentation	+++	-	-	+
Non-intrusive	++	-	-	++
Timely response	+	+++	+++	+++
Allows articulation of thoughts	++	+++	++	+
Clear wording	++	+++	++	+
Good expression of messages	++	+++	++	+
Non-verbal communication	-	+++	-	-
Allows relationship development	+	+++	++	+
More detailed verbal communication	++	+++	++	-

Obstacles for parents:
- Their own negative school experiences
- Perception of lack of care or concern by teachers for their child
- Parents can be intimidated by school
- Language barriers
- Parents may not understand their importance in children’s education

Obstacles for teachers:
- Sometimes teachers do not feel that the parents value education, do not motivate children for learning enough, do not discipline the children adequately.
- Teachers often feel that the parents are suspicious and hostile and they tend to feel that they will avoid the conflicts if they avoid contacting the parents.
- The experience and the research as well have shown that the teachers who promptly call the parents when or if the issue arises, manage to avoid the increase of the problem and therefore receive parental support.
- The issue may be caused by the lack of the education of teachers for proper parent-teacher communication.
- Studies from the United States showed that only one in 25 teachers went through some form of education on parent-teacher communication.