Courses / Module

The purpose of the module is to equip student teachers with theory, practical information and strategies in order to build their confidence to work effectively and empathetically with parents and guardians.

Student teachers gain experience in how to develop effective working relationships with children and school staff on school placement. They will also gain effective communication skills including the appropriate use of communication methods using digital technology. However, it is during their first year as a qualified teacher that they will have the first meaningful opportunity to work with parents and guardians. This module is designed to help student teachers with several aspects of parent/teacher relationships with an emphasis on Froebelian philosophy and pedagogies.

Student teachers will be given practical information and advice on how to prepare for events and tasks, including parent/teacher meetings, end-of-year reports, and regular unofficial communications. Student teachers will learn the appropriate skills to develop positive and meaningful relationships with parents and guardians. Student teachers will also learn the benefits of developing effective relationships to support parents/guardians in cases of bereavement, family separation and other such reasons. Students will gain a basic knowledge of current family law and how it pertains to them as teachers as well as matters relating to their role as mandated persons.

The importance of emotional intelligence will also be explored, with reference to managing expectations of both the parent and the teacher. Student teachers will learn about barriers to parental involvement due to potential social inclusion issues, from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and from new-comer families.
Student teachers will learn how to work with parents to assist them in understanding the process involved in educational assessments. Student teachers will learn strategies for handling conflict with a parent/guardian, both within the class or from the wider school community and how to maintain their resilience during and after such encounters, based on case-study scenarios based on content covered.

Students will be required to design a start-of-year presentation for parents highlighting importance of play within the context of the school curriculum and how parents can be a partner in this at home. The presentation will focus on making curriculum content accessible to parents.