Family engagement is crucial for student success, but it is also beneficial for teachers. When teachers develop strong relationships with families, they gain valuable insights into their students’ backgrounds, learning styles, and interests. This information can help teachers make more informed instructional choices, resulting in improved learning outcomes for students. Supporting teachers with increased and consistent family engagement helps teachers get to know kids and families to enhance instructional choices while improving teacher morale and resiliency.
Understanding Student Backgrounds
When teachers take the time to get to know their students’ families, they gain a better understanding of their students’ backgrounds. This knowledge can be particularly important for students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Understanding students’ culture helps teachers create lessons that are more relevant and engaging for these students. Additionally, understanding students’ home languages helps teachers provide better language support in the classroom. Families who are supporting teachers in this way demonstrate their trust and respect for teachers as they share information about their families.
Identifying Learning Styles, Strengths, and Interests
Families provide valuable information to teachers about each child’s preferences, passions, and interests. When teachers work closely with families, they can gain insights into students’ preferred learning styles. Some students may prefer hands-on activities, while others may prefer more visual or auditory instruction. By understanding their students’ learning styles, teachers can tailor their instruction to better meet their students’ needs. This can result in improved engagement and better learning outcomes for students.
Building Trust
When families are supporting teachers and engaged at school, trust and positive relationships are built between home and school. This is particularly important for families who may be hesitant to engage with schools due to past negative experiences or cultural barriers. By building positive relationships with families, teachers can create a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages students to take risks, try new things, and ultimately, achieve success. As trusting relationships are formed, teachers experience greater levels of respect, support, and collaboration with families and students alike.
Family engagement is not only important for student success, but it is also beneficial for supporting teachers. By working closely with families, teachers can gain valuable insights into their students’ backgrounds, learning styles, and interests. This information can be used to design more engaging and effective lessons that meet the diverse needs of their students. Additionally, by building positive relationships with families, teachers can create a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages students to take risks, try new things, and ultimately, achieve success.
