From parent-teacher conferences to career days and field trips, parents and teachers often have a collaborative relationship in elementary and middle schools. Yet, as students from Berkeley Unified School District’s three middle schools converge into Berkeley High School, the relationship between teachers and parents often becomes minimal to nonexistent. Combating this phenomenon by having teachers and parents build stronger relationships is vital because it plays an important role in helping students succeed academically.
Apart from the annual back-to-school night and the occasional field trip, parents and teachers at BHS have little to no interaction, making it hard to build a relationship. However, according to the New York Times, the most effective relationships between families and educators are built on regular communication, not just occasional interactions. Taking this into account, it is crucial to increase the opportunities for parent-teacher interactions. More field trips and parent volunteer opportunities would facilitate this. A lack of a parent-teacher relationship can be harmful to students, especially when navigating a large high school environment like that of BHS.
Stronger parent-teacher relationships support educators and parents in addition to the students themselves. According to the Pepperdine School of Education and Psychology, teachers who have an understanding of a student's home life, strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral or academic challenges can better prepare lesson plans and empathize with students. For parents, more communication with their child's teachers helps them stay informed about their child’s academic performance, which can allow them to offer at-home guidance. This joint effort creates a stronger student support system both at school and at home.
While some may argue that high school is a time for students to take responsibility for their own education and develop independence, it is important to recognize that this is not possible without mentorship from teachers and family. Research has shown that a student’s self-sufficiency is highly dependent on outside support and help with goal setting, independent learning, and feedback.
While parent-teacher communication is crucial to addressing students' individual academic needs, at a large public high school like BHS, it can be challenging. Most BHS teachers teach about five periods a day, managing large classes with diverse needs, making it easy for individual struggles to go unnoticed. The large number of students each teacher is responsible for makes personalized attention and one-on-one conversations with parents more challenging. However, while personal and one-on-one time between parents and teachers may be unrealistic, it is still possible to foster community. Teachers can ask for parental help with projects and materials, and parents can offer their time on field trips and take an interest in their children's school life. In doing so, parents and teachers can help one another with their ultimate goal: their students' success.
Altogether, strengthening the relationship between teachers and parents is key in a public school environment. Hosting more in-school opportunities for teachers and parents to interact is the most practical way to strengthen these relationships. In the long run, such efforts will have a positive impact on students' academic performance and emotional wellbeing.