Teachers' Greatest Resource Found Outside the Classroom

Teachers might say that their best resource for teaching their students is YouTube, or a science app on their cell phone, or a site that hosts study guides. In the technological age, everything we need to get a point across is right at our fingertips, and educators are really getting creative with ways to use these resources. That being said, a teacher's best friend is still one that can't be reached on the computer.

It's the parents of the students.

If you truly care for the success of your students, getting the parents involved is paramount. That being said, it's not always the easiest task. Visiting students' homes is time-consuming and, not to mention, doesn't always go over well. Sometimes parents are difficult to contact. At the end of the day, those aren't reasons for not keeping parents in the loop – you just have to find new ways to do it.

Begin a Weekly Newsletter

It's pretty simple: get a list of parents' e-mails and create a newsletter that outlines the important goings-on of your class. Detail where students should be in the research/writing process for their term papers, and offer a few helpful hints for the parents. Give shout-outs to students who made noteworthy accomplishments or summarize important conversations had in class. It's a simple but effective way to encourage parents to come to you with questions and to hold their students accountable.

Enlist Parent Helpers

If you're an educator, you know quite well that parents will be vocal about what they'd like to see in the classroom. By enlisting parent helpers to choose what to post on bulletin boards, organize field trips, or suggest films or texts, you're allowing the parents to feel as though they have some sort of control over their child's education which will facilitate a strong parent-teacher relationship.

Use Parent-Friendly Software

Classroom management software is an innovation that's quickly taking over, largely due to the fact that it benefits everyone. Educators can post due dates and status updates in order to remind students about assignments, so students can't "forget" about projects. Parents can check students' grades and see that their child has submitted work, making discipline and communication easier. And, as the teacher, organizing lesson plans, keeping attendance, and uploading resources makes a huge difference.

Dealing with Disengaged Parents

It may sound like all of the above is idealizing all parents – in truth, not all parents are involved. The aforementioned software helps to pinpoint which students are struggling and in what areas so that you can easily take them aside and talk to them about it. Additionally, if parents don't seem to have the time to sit down with their students, you could dedicate a few hours to tutoring or point parents and students in the direction of the school's tutoring center to help improve work ethic. It's important that someone gives struggling students personal attention, so when a parent is disengaged, it's all about finding another way to do that.