Very often there is an opinion, even among teachers, that work with parents at school is limited to parent-teacher meetings held from time to time, which discuss, to a greater extent, problems of the material plan or performance of students, as well as individual conversations, most often held in in a hurry, at recess or before class.
But it is necessary to remember, especially for young teachers, that well-established contact with those who give their children to the educational institution contributes to a more successful upbringing of students, which, of course, is reflected in their behavior and study.
Of course, you should not belittle the role of the parent assembly. Moreover, in addition to him, the following collective forms of work with parents at school are possible: thematic meetings, open lessons, a round table, group psychological counseling , etc. Each of them has its own advantages, disadvantages, and also meets its goals.
In order to determine the optimal strategy according to which work with parents will be carried out in elementary school, it is recommended to conduct a survey at one of the first meetings. Here you can briefly ask participants to describe the topics of upbringing that interest them, find out how they can help in the educational process, and list the features of their children.
The last question is worth mentioning separately. When compiling a questionnaire, if the teacher does this on his own without resorting to the help of a school psychologist, you should not introduce questions, for example, “the strengths and weaknesses of children”, since few adults can soberly assess their baby, and even more so describe its disadvantages while completely a stranger. In the learning process, the teacher himself must find an approach to children, but in order to get to know a little in advance, such items as “what you need to pay attention to when working with your child” are enough.
Individual work with parents at school is often necessary, especially for those whose children have problems with behavior, adaptation, or academic performance. It can be consultations, discussions, briefing. The main mistakes made by young teachers here are lack of time, rush, emotionality. If the conversation is not spontaneous, but pre-scheduled, then you should carefully prepare for it. It is necessary to think over the problems that need to be discussed, to make sure that there is enough time for everything, and the conversation does not turn out to be “crumpled”.
A calm, friendly tone is the teacher’s main weapon in front of a parent who is in a nervous state or is hostile (after all, they will probably teach him and scold his child). It is advisable to operate with facts, and not with your own assumptions regarding the family education of the student. If there are problems, it is better to advise an adult author’s book on this topic, and not to test his patience with long moralizing.
Of course, work with parents at school is aimed primarily at the result. In the case when it does not appear in any way, you can attract a psychologist who will come to the rescue of not only young, but already experienced teachers.
It should be noted that work with parents at school should be carried out not only with those whose children have problems, but also with everyone else. This can be seen as a preventative measure for future misunderstandings or conflicts.
Do not forget about the main support of the teacher, the parent committee. They can always organize the rest, and besides, they can shift most of the organizational and material issues onto their shoulders, which teachers often have to spend a lot of time on. An important role is also played by school-wide meetings of parents, at which the parents have the opportunity to talk with the administration and ask about what interests them.