5 Ways to Harness Parent Engagement for Effective Classroom Management

Choosing a classroom strategy that works in your classroom can be challenging as a teacher. From token systems, treasure chests, paper dollars and points, figuring out where to start can be confusing. One of the often overlooked strategies for classroom management is parent engagement.

This blog will explore how parent engagement can be leveraged as a powerful tool for classroom management, creating the most authentic relationship between teachers, parents, and students.

Involving Parents and Students is Key to Successful Classroom Management

Actively involving students in the parent-teacher partnership is a newer concept that can make a difference in effective classroom management. While parent and teacher communication has not traditionally included students, but including students can bring classroom equity to new heights. 

Engaging students more collaboratively can empower them to advocate for their learning. A few ways to activate the parent-teacher-student relationship is to have students participate in the following:

• Student-led Conferences
• Service learning
• Goal Setting and Progress Reporting
• Service Learning

Meet Parents and Students Where They Are in and out of the Classroom

Establishing a strong home-classroom relationship doesn’t have to be rocket science. You can leverage collaborative relationships in your classroom by setting up a foundation of good communication through clear expectations, consistency, and seeking parental input.

Start With Improving Classroom Management with Consistency and Clear Expectations

The beginning of the school year is a perfect time to establish routines and processes in the classroom. Extending this into the lives of your students at home is even more powerful.

To do this, start the school year with a Welcome Announcement or Newsletter to parents that includes:

• A cheery welcome and a little bit of information about yourself
• A copy of your classroom rules and procedures
• Show what expectations of what good communication between parents, students and yourself looks like in action 
• Let parents know when you’ll be communicating, how you’ll be communicating and the frequency of your communication. 
• Let parents know how excited you are to meet their kiddos and ask for information about what would help their child succeed.

It is important to outline how, when, and where parents and students can expect to communicate with you. By setting up a good foundation of parent engagement, you will get parents bought in and better able to support their kids at home.

Collaborating with Parents on Classroom Behavior Reinforcement

With a strong communication and engagement foundation, you can start using parent engagement as a classroom engagement strategy. By collaborating with parents by involving them in your classroom activities and providing resources to help them reinforce messaging, parents can provide consistency and take more ownership of their child’s education at home.

Involving Parents in Classroom Activities

Including parents in classroom activities enhances the learning experience and strengthens the connection between home and school. 

Invite parents to participate in special events, field trips, or guest speaker sessions. Encourage them to share their expertise and talents with the students, creating a sense of community and demonstrating that education is a joint effort. 

When parents feel more connected to the school community, they are more likely to support your classroom management strategies.

Parent Resources on Classroom Management

Parent education is crucial to parent engagement. Sharing resources about behaviors you focus on and providing suggestions for reinforcing behaviors at home shows a unified front. It ensures students are getting consistent messages at school and home. 

Work with parents to develop consistent behavior management strategies. For example, positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for shaping behavior and can be used in both the classroom and at home.

Equipping parents with the necessary knowledge and skills empowers them to support classroom management. 

Conclusion

Parent engagement is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance classroom management. By fostering strong home-school partnerships, setting clear expectations, collaborating on behavior reinforcement, involving parents in classroom activities, and providing parent education resources, you can tap into the collective strengths of your and the classroom parent’s knowledge.

Together, we can cultivate a sense of shared responsibility and commitment, benefiting every child’s academic and personal growth.