There are some classroom management habits that teachers possess that really make them an effective teacher: Characteristics like treating each student individually, taking the time to get to know each child, challenging students, listening to them, and spreading positivity. These are a just a few of the many things that parents love about effective teachers. Do you hold any of these qualities? Here we'll take a look at a few more important classroom management qualities that parents like to see in teachers. Use these classroom management tips to help you foster a better relationship with your students (and their parents) so you can be a more successful teacher.
Parents love when teachers keep them informed. The key to successful teacher-parent communication is to not only contact parents when you have bad news about their child, but to make an effort to connect them when things are going well, too. My favorite thing about my son's 6th grade team of teachers is that they send home postcards when he's worked hard and done well on a test. This is not only a great way to keep the parents informed, but it's also an amazing way to show the student that their hard work has gotten noticed. Parents also love getting updates on what's going on in the classroom. Sending home a weekly newsletter, updating your classroom blog, or sending out a text on your parent communication app are all great ways to keep parents in the loop.
Another quality parents love about effective teachers is that they take the time to really listen to any parental or student concerns. A lot of the time parents (as well as students) feel like their voice is not being heard, so they don't come to the teacher in fear that the teacher won't agree with what they have to say. However, effective teachers take the time to listen, regardless if they agree with the parent or the student. They are always there to listen to their concerns without any judgment. Setting up a private meeting, giving parents and students the option to text or email, or even writing a note are all great ways to show that you are willing to listen to any concerns.
Parents love when teachers never give up on their children. Parents understand what it takes to deal with a child, and love when teachers take the time to not only help boost their child's confidence, but also challenge them as well. They love when teachers suggest to parents what they can do at home to help their child succeed. They value the teachers' knowledge, and appreciate anything that they can tell them to help foster the success of their child both academically and emotionally. Sending encouraging postcards or notes when students are trying hard, or giving them a pat on the back in front of the class, are both great ways to show student support.
Another great quality parents think effective teachers have is to treat all students fairly. It's easy to have your favorite students, like the ones who never interrupt, always hand their homework in on time, and are always willing to participate in class discussions. However, it's not as easy to handle students who are disruptive or unwilling to participate. Effective teachers treat all students fairly, regardless of their behavior. They do so because they know that each child is unique and different, and may have different things going at home that are out of their hands. Using numbers or name sticks to call upon students to participate in class, as well as promoting gender equality in all subjects, are both great ways to treat students fairly.
Parents love teachers that understand that their students have a home life and have things to do after they get out of school. They love teachers who don't give them hours upon hours of homework just to reinforce what they learned in school. Effective teachers know and understand that their students have sports, activities, chores, and things do to that may not be related to school. Giving students exit tickets is a great alternative to lengthy homework assignments. Exit tickets offer teachers a quick way to know if students have grasped what they learned in class or not. Teachers can then take the information they learned from the exit ticket, to see if homework is even necessary.
These are just a few of several habits that parents think make an effective teacher. Many other character traits, such as embracing change, being flexible, enjoying their job, and simply being kind to their students, are all great quantities to possess as a teacher.
What qualities do you think make an effective teacher? Please feel free to comment on your classroom management techniques in the section below, we'd love to hear what you have to say on this topic.