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September 27, 2016

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Best practices: Understanding how educators work together with parents to benefit children

Source: Shanghai Daily | September 27, 2016, Tuesday | Print Edition

PARENTS and teachers both want the best for children, and communication between the two is essential in order to maximise learning opportunities and children’s development. In order for this to happen, both parties need to work together with frequent and effective communication. According to research scientist, Dr Liane Wardlow, in her paper on “The Positive Results of Parent Communication,” “Parents and teachers are two of the most important contributors to a student’s educational success. When parents and teachers communicate well with one another, they are able to support student learning together. As such, communication between home and school is vital.”

At one school in Shanghai, Yew Chung International School (YCIS), there is a deeply rooted commitment to creating a culture of open communication. YCIS has developed a number of strategies to ensure that both parents and teachers can create an effective partnership that will benefit students. Using multiple channels, giving parents opportunities to be involved in school life, and providing teachers with ongoing training and support are all essential aspects of YCIS’s successful approach to parent-teacher communication.

Terence Dayes, Vice principal at YCIS’s Gubei campus says, “At YCIS, we believe that partnering closely with parents is essential in successfully guiding students through the school experience.” Dayes outlines how the school’s policies help open lines of communication between parents and teachers. “For example, parents at YCIS are provided with the email address for all of their child’s teachers from the time of enrolment. This enables parents to contact their son or daughter’s teacher at any time during the academic year.” YCIS also understands the importance of providing ongoing support and opportunities for parents and teachers to help enable them to communicate effectively throughout the year. “Parents and teachers have opportunities to establish and develop lines of communication through parent workshops, parent information evenings, parent-teacher interviews, and a range of other informal and formal events that are organised by the school and Parent Organizations”, says Dayes.

The Parent Organisations of both Puxi and Pudong (POP) create many opportunities for YCIS parents to become involved at the school, and engage with teachers as well as other members of the school community. “We have a very active parent organisation on our campuses that works with campus leadership teams, student leadership teams, teachers, and the wider community”, continues Dayes. “Our parents are encouraged to become active members of our school community, ranging from support in the classroom to being involved in the organisation of our large-scale, annual events, such as our Back-to-School Carnival, the Christmas Carnival, and the International Food Fair, to name a few.”

Of course, both educators and parents know that education is about more than just academics. When families and teachers share information about children’s life at home and school, they can work together to provide students with a truly holistic education. The communication at YCIS allows both parents and teachers to be more informed about student’s experiences both in, and outside of the classroom. “Beyond being committed to strong academic standards, we understand that a holistic education aimed at nurturing character and emotional development is essential for children to reach their potential and become principled global citizens”, Dayes explains. “Having open and clear lines of communication across a wide support network enables parents to participate in their child’s educational experience.”

At the end of the day, it is actually both parents and teachers who help educate children, and when they work together, it has a profound impact on the experience for the child. By providing a variety of opportunities and resources that actively encourage parent-teacher communication, schools like YCIS create an ideal environment for students to achieve their full potential.

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