How to Build a Team Between Family and School

Knowing how to form a team between family and school from the point of view of the teacher and the parents will help the child enjoy a better and more complete education.

Written and verified by the child educator Pedro González Núñez.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Imagine you have to stop a soccer ball and you’re all alone. Now, think of that ball turning into ten balls at once. Can you handle it all without help? Probably not. This simple example helps to illustrate the importance of having a supportive group where everyone helps each other and rows in the same direction. And having said that, we want to talk about how to build a team between family and school.

We often say that a child’s mind is like a blank book. It’s their experiences that will write the story of their lives. And these experiences will be based on their experiences with their family, and also with friends, at school, etc.

That’s why it’s so important that we all row in the same direction. That way, the blank book that’s the mind of a child doesn’t fill up with contradictions, confusion, and insignificant experiences.

Family and school

Family and school are the two great institutions that will educate and form the individual for a good part of their life. Therefore, they must be complementary and collaborative, and never rivals.

For this reason, and given that the school environment and the family environment are different and each one has its particularities, we’re going to give a series of keys so that each party seeks the involvement of the other.

Keys for parents to improve their involvement

What can the school do through its teachers, professionals, and educators to achieve greater involvement of parents in the education of their children? Let’s take a look at some interesting keys:

1. Active listening to parents’ concerns: Parents know their children well, their particularities, hobbies, habits, routines, customs… As teachers, it’s important to listen to them and support them.
2. Interest: If there are any behavioral changes in a child, a decrease in their school performance, or attitude changes between the family and school contexts, communication is fundamental and must be fluid.
3. Personalized meetings: The meetings between parents and teachers should be personalized. This is because each child’s unique and has their own concerns, difficulties, and strengths.
4. Clear explanations: As teachers, schools will offer parents relevant explanations in a clear way. And they’ll take the time they need to do so and address all necessary points, including points for improvement.
5. Parent-teacher conferences: It’s also good to maintain fluid communication in order to reinforce those behaviors that are going well at school and that deserve to be maintained in the family environment.

Keys for involving teachers

Now, let’s understand how to form a team between family and school from the parents’ perspective. In other words, involving teachers in daily work with children so that they become an active part of their education beyond mere classes. In this sense, the following points are important:

1. Value the work of the professional: As parents, we must, in addition to valuing the teacher, trust their criteria and listen respectfully to their decisions and contributions.
2. Frequent communication: It’s important to maintain frequent and fluid communication, meeting at least once every semester to discuss possible problems that may arise with their children’s progress and identify possible problems that may arise academically, socially, or behaviorally.

   

3. Requests for help: As parents, we’ll ask teachers for help when we have educational problems with our children. They’ll help us to solve any doubts that may arise.
4. Don’t undermine the teacher’s authority: It’s important not to question the teacher’s authority, much less in front of your children. Children must understand that the teacher’s their reference point and they must treat them with respect and consideration.
5. Talking to the children: It’s also important to talk to the children at home about their life at school. In this way, parents will be able to stay up to date.
6. Reinforcement: It’s also good to reinforce the learning children receive at school at home. This encourages interest in culture, reading, art, or science and creates a good atmosphere.
7. Participation in activities: Finally, it’s important that parents work together and take an active part in the activities the school carries out. In this way, parents support the teacher’s work and values their work.

So, now you already have some interesting ideas on how to form a team between family and school from the points of view of the parents and the educational institution. Together, you can create an indissoluble union that will help the children a great deal.