2b: Oh, I see
Heather Hoff's Portfolio Page | Quick and Effective Parent/Teacher Communication | QEP/TC Course Navigation
Objective
In this section, learners will:
- Identify obstacles to parent/teacher communication
Class Discussion
Looking at your Venn diagram, what obstacles do you see revealed in this survey?
Read your peers' responses and add your own.
👩🏽🏫 I noticed that the parents had very specific ideas about what ideal communication looks like and a few included an emphasis on hearing about their children's social skills. The teacher responses were much more general. This is an obvious disconnect in expectations.
👩🏾💼 A number of parents wanted more frequent conferences while none of the teachers had mentioned that. Also one parent mentioned that they should be allowed to bring concerns. It seems like these parents are looking for more communication but do not feel comfortable reaching out themselves.
👨🏼💼 It surprised me that a number of parents stressed the desire for honest and truthful communication. Clearly there is some distrust present.
Your Discussion Response
Looking at your Venn diagram, what obstacles do you see revealed in this survey? Edit to include your response.
👤 TYPE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE
👤 TYPE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE
👤 TYPE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE
An Antecdote
At preschool pick-up, a parent with older children in the elementary and middle school commented, "(This teacher) is a terrible communicator, but in a way that's a good thing. It prepares us for when they get to elementary school and beyond. That is like sending them into a black hole. You have no idea what goes on in the school unless your kid tells you and then you are hearing it from the perspective of your kid, so you still don't really know what happens."
How do you want parents to describe their communication experience with you?
Reach Out
Let's engage your real world knowledge community again! Grab your phone and text a friend, who has children in school, asking them what they feel are the primary obstacles of parent/teacher communication. Follow up by asking them what ideal communication would look like.
How do their thoughts compare to the survey responses and any resources you read? How does it compare to your parent/teacher communication practices? What do you think accounts for any differences?
Moving On
Research shows the following obstacles, many of which we could readily identify in the small survey we examined:
- Time and schedule constraints
- Misaligned communication expectations
- Misaligned understanding of parent and teacher roles in education
- Language barriers
- Socio-cultural differences
- Prior negative interactions
- Negative feelings toward school and teachers
- Lack of trust
- Lack of openness
Now that we understand the issues, it's time to find out Unit 3: What Can We Do About That?