Improving Communication

A right relationship begins with a right philosophy. The first principle the teacher must realize is that children are the responsibility of the parents and that he must not violate the efforts of the home to mold the child for God's service. Sometimes Christian school administrators and teachers assume they know what is better for a child than the parents do. At times God allows a conflict to arise in order to bring the teacher to the realization that he is to support the efforts of the home.

In communication problems the teacher's attitude often causes more conflicts than misunderstandings do. Before the teacher can be part of the solution (Gal. 6:1-6), he must see himself in a learning role by examining himself to identify what traits or practices he is exhibiting that contribute to the problem. The second learning role is to ask the parents to reveal how he has been a stumbling block to the goals they have for their child. After a teacher has asked their forgiveness, the parents should be open to instruction, and God will reveal solutions crowded out by defensive and protective tactics.

There are methods that can be practiced to avoid conflicts. Whenever an incident occurs that could lead to a potential conflict, the teacher must act quickly to help the child have a good understanding and then follow-up with a phone call to the parents or send a note if it is appropriate. Systematic home visits and phone calls can establish a positive basis for solving many problems because they provide a basis for understanding the goals of the home. Sending invitations to a few parents to visit the classroom will help parents know that the classroom is open to them.

Like anything else that experiences success, teachers need to advertise what is going on in their rooms. Besides the parent-teacher fellowships, the teacher can establish a room newsletter, send completed projects home, invite parents to special events in the room, and start a parent-suggestion box.

It is important that the teacher express positive attitudes, be pleasant, and notice what the children do. A genuine demonstration of liking each child in the class helps to build good communication. A joyful, productive atmosphere in the classroom is essential to demonstrating a caring attitude, and discipline should be administered firmly and justly with love.

Some teachers believe that to listen to parents could open them to compromising standards and policies. However, the opposite is true. The best way to gain a cooperative parent and student atmosphere is to develop a positive communication system with the parents.

Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.