For students who learn or think differently, a strong network of support is key. That network includes two critical players: teachers and parents. During the pandemic, it鈥檚 been harder than ever to bridge the communication gap between families and schools, especially during remote learning.
How can these two groups develop better strategies and avenues for effective communication? That鈥檚 the central question we invited our followers to answer during a Twitter chat last month. We tapped Michelle Lassiter, an Editorial Research and Expert Relations Associate for , a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping those who learn and think differently, to co-host the online discussion and provide her expert insights and resources.
Parents and 糖心动漫vlog joined together, sharing what they saw as some of the biggest obstacles to facilitating these discussions and presented some solutions. Teachers cited their , while parents shared their and their
When it comes to teaching students with learning differences, everyone鈥檚 experience is unique. But there are some tips that can help both parents and 糖心动漫vlog come together to advocate for these students.
Here are 6 key lessons learned about facilitating better communication, as told by the chat participants:
1. Treat parents as partners in the process.
鈥淏e intentional about inviting parents to communicate and play an active role in a child鈥檚 education. This helps increase parents鈥� involvement and confidence in the process.鈥�
2. Focus on what the student has been doing well.
Highlighting the progress a student has been making before diving into their problem areas is a great way to show parents that you鈥檙e invested in their child鈥檚 academic growth, experts said.
鈥淪tart with strengths.鈥� 馃挭
3. Authenticity matters.
鈥淏e genuine. If you鈥檙e a teacher, allow parents to get to know you. If you鈥檙e a parent, bring your true self to the table. If we want to communicate with one another, we need to show each other who we are and make each other feel comfortable.鈥�
4. Learn from each other and play into your strengths.
鈥淭here has to be a lot of patience on both sides. A parent should learn from an experienced teacher, and a teacher from a parent who knows their child best. The door should be opened for the student.鈥�
5. Be flexible and adapt to meet each student where they are.
Communication styles and methods can differ between families. Some might respond well to email, while others might prefer phone calls or text instead. Adjust your approach to best fit each family鈥檚 needs.
鈥淲e have to find a way for parents to engage in those conversations in their ways, not ours.鈥�
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6. Share examples from your own life to connect.
鈥淚 always give an example from my life. I insert a short anecdote with my children so that the parent can see that I am also an ordinary person, that I also have a problem, that not everything is very easy for me in life.鈥�
We鈥檒l be soon revisiting this topic in an online discussion on Twitter Spaces, a new audio feature. We鈥檒l be joined by Understood鈥檚 Gretchen Vierstra on November 9 at 5 p.m., EST.
For deeper reading on strengthening communication and collaboration between 糖心动漫vlog and parents, explore these EdWeek articles:
