Building connections with the kids in your class is a vital part of being a teacher. Just as important is parent teacher relationships outside of the classroom that grow to encompass the whole family.
When families are involved in a child’s education and feel like they have the support of the teachers, kids do better in school. They’re more engaged, perform better and approach education with a positive outlook. These parent teacher relationships that are made during a child’s primary and secondary school years end up providing an entire lifetime of benefits.
KIPP TEAM Science Teacher Nicole Sunwabe explains how she builds parent teacher relationships through her students. She places importance on showing up for events that are important to the kids she teaches, consistently reaches out to the kids and their families in ways that show she really cares about them.
Watch Nicole’s advice for new teachers below.