Tips for Strengthening Parent-Teacher Collaboration to Maintain a Positive Learning Environment During Pandemic
Corazon I. Sotero
COVID-19 has had a significant influence on educational practices. As the 2020– 2021 school goes on, teachers, students, and parents start on a new path filled with unknown obstacles. It is more crucial than ever that teachers and parents work together to help their children grow as quickly as possible with these new obstacles. Parentteacher connections may have been strained before COVID, so how does one handle this new dynamic during COVID-19? Here are some pointers to help teachers and parents collaborate to create a positive learning environment at home:
Parents must now educate their children at home, and teachers must stay patient and understanding. Everyone engaged, including the children, will face a steep learning curve. When a pupil learns a new topic or skill, the teacher is a tremendous motivator. Teachers may help parents in their new role by maintaining an open communication channel. Offering communication options such as phone or any messenger service or portal would assist in preparing parents to assume the role of teacher without feeling isolated.
Teachers can establish a community for both kids and their parents as we accept the "new normal" together. Teachers may assist in fostering open discourse and a sense of community among their students and their parents from a distance by using group emails, interactive exercises, and Zoom sessions.
We are all in this together, despite the cliché. It is simpler to stay on track if teachers are honest and transparent about their experiences, how pupils handle their workload, and practice regimens. The same is true for their parents. The teachers will help their students the right way if parents are open and honest with them.
It's simple to point a finger and get upset, mainly when everyone is uptight or stressed out. As the school year goes on, parents and teachers must remain grounded, calm, and understanding. Although it may be difficult, parents and teachers ultimately want the same thing: for their children or students to succeed. It might be good to follow the suggestions above to make learning more collaborative and dynamic for everyone today and in the future.
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The author is Teacher III at Timmaguab Integrated School, Sta. Ignacia South District, Schools Division of Tarlac Province, Region III – Central Luzon