Creating Parent- Teacher Partnership in Promoting Learning

IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)
Volume 20, Issue 1, Ver. IV (Jan. 2015), PP 145-147
e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.
www.iosrjournals.org
DOI: 10.9790/0837-2014145147 www.iosrjournals.org 145 | Page
Creating Parent- Teacher Partnership in Promoting Learning
Dr (Mrs.) Florence A. Undiyaundeye,
Department Of Eccde Federal College Of Education, Obudu, Cross River State, Nigeria.
Abstract: Children and young people are proud of their learning, their progress, attainment and achievements.
Their work is displayed well in classrooms, in public areas and where possible in the wider community.
Learners and their families receive supports through the provision of effective behaviour support programmes.
It is no news to proffer a way to letting the pupils/students learn appropriately for better future for them but be
determined to achieve the fact that tomorrow is more promising than today if excellent partnership is built
between parents and teachers for promoting children’s learning. This paper sets out to find out how parents and
teachers network and form synergy to provide an enhancement for school students or pupils to learn
appropriately and positively for learning goals to be achieved. In conclusion, a range of formal and informal
activities contribute to the development of positive attitudes and self-assurance amongst learners.
Keywords: Building partnerships, promoting learning, parents and teachers.
I. Introduction
Praise and reward are used to encourage good behaviour as appropriate to the age and stage of the
children. Learners and parents have high expectations of standards of behaviour and walk towards promoting
positive relationships within learning, caring, and inclusive school community.
One way to foster children’s learning is through joint efforts involving both families and teachers or
schools. Where parents and teachers share responsibilities for creating a working relationship that will help
children succeed academically. Undiyaundeye (2014) suggests that when families are involved in their
children’s education in positive ways, the children achieve higher grades and test scores and have better
attendance at school, complete more home work and demonstrate more positive attitudes and behaviour.
Reports from UNICEF (1999) also indicate that families who receive frequent and positive messages from
teachers tend to become more involved in their children’s education than those parents who do not receive this
kind of communication. The broad areas involved in promoting learning in the child are parents and teachers.
The following are some suggestions on how to build parents- teacher relationships in learning as posited by
Fowawe & Ishola (2006) and Nord & Bimball (2012)
II. Parents
As their children’s first teachers, parents and families can:
 Read together: Read with your children and let them see you and older children read. When adult family
members read to their children or listen to them read on a regular basis; they achieve improvement in
learning their school work. You can take the children to the library and get a library card and help them
find books to suit their interests and hobbies.
 Establish a family routine: Routine include time for completion of homework, doing house chores, eating
meals together and going to bed at an established time. These daily events are important to make life
predictable for children and satisfying for all family members. Encourage your child’s efforts and be
available for questions while they are engaged in academic work and spend time discussing what they have
learned.
 Use television wisely: Limit the amount of time children spend on watching television and help them
choose appropriate programmes for view and compliant to their age requirements. When the programmes
are chosen carefully, some TV programmes can help increase their interest in learning.
 Keep in touch with the school: Stay aware of what your children are leaning, what their assignments are
and how they are doing. Make it a point of duty by visiting their school and talking with the teachers
through parents/teachers conference or family nights. If visit is a little pressing, schedule a telephone call to
discuss children’s progress.

Creating Parent- Teacher Partnership In Promoting Learning
 Offer praise and encouragement: Parents and families play an important role in influencing a child’s
confidence and motivation to become a successful learner. Encourage them to complete assignments and
introduce them to outside experiences that will enhance their self-confidence and broaden their interests.
 In attempt to connect parents with educators, teachers are expected to function as follows to promote
learning in the class interaction as posit by COMPASS (2006), Fawowe & Ishola (2006) and Midel &
Renolds (1999).
 Involve parents in classroom activities: Teachers can let families know how they can be helpful and can
ask for their assistance with specific classroom materials, serving on a committee to select classroom
equipment and materials or sharing information about their careers or hobbies. The more involved parents
are in what goes on in the classroom, the more likely they are to understand the teacher’s goals and
practices.
 Give parents a voice in decisions: Parents viewpoints should be considered in making decisions about
their children’s schooling. Programmes should be arranged in such a way that individual or collective
decisions about the goals and standards for their kids are taken by parents.
 Plan ahead for parents/teacher conference: Communication to parents at the beginning of school year or
semester about school policies and services. Inform them about classroom goals and give examples of what
the children will be learning.
 Foster good communication during parents/teachers conferences: When meeting with family members
create a comfortable environment in which parents feel free to share information, ask questions and make
recommendations. When a formation of synergy is reached through creating a network of parents and
teachers, learning gets to the peak and realization of teaching objectives.
III. How Teachers Promote Learning
Everyday students/pupils go to school, their parents and caretakers or teachers hope that these young
individuals will be treated with care, value, inspired and educated. The children in-turn hope that they will get
along with their peers and teachers, have their work measure up and enjoy the process of learning. (Nord &
Bimball, 2013). These hopes define positive classroom for parents and children. Education has to make for all
stakeholders by implementing the following strategies to achieve positive classroom support and improvement
of academic performance. The teachers use the following strategies to achieve positive learning outcome
through class interaction; According to pediatrics Manage, Care and Children with Special Needs Accessed
(2004).
 Make learning relevant: The teacher discovers students’ talents, learning style, interests, adjusting
teaching methods and strategies to increase the children’s sense of ownership in the educating process.
 Create a classroom code of conduct: A productive classroom requires a common understanding of
positive and negative behaviours. To achieve this, teachers are required to identify the best way students
prefer to be treated. Together the teacher and students decide the best way to treat others in preference
options. This makes up the best code of conduct and an agreement is reached to dictate the behaviours
appropriate for their classroom operations.
 Teach positive actions: There is need to teach students positive behaviour in a thorough, consistent and
systematic way. The positive action curriculum covers the following concepts:
o The importance of doing positive actions to feel good about yourself
o Positive action for a healthy body (such as nutrition, exercise and sleep)
o Positive action for the intellect or intellectual ability (such as thinking, decision making and problem
solving skills)
o Positive action for self management (such as managing time, energy, emotions and other personal
resources)
o Positive action for getting along with others (such as treating others fairly, kindly and respectfully)
o Positive actions for being honest with yourself and others (such as taking responsibility, admitting mistakes
and not blaming others)
o Positive actions for improving yourself continuously (such as selling and achieving goals)
 Instill intrinsic motivation: Teachers are to help students or pupils understand that people are likely to
feel good about themselves when they are engaged in positive actions. Repeated reinforcement by the
teachers helps the students to understand and improve their behaviour in any situation.

Creating Parent- Teacher Partnership In Promoting Learning
 Reinforce positive behaviour: Teachers can strengthen intrinsic motivation by recognizing and positively
reinforced positive action when they see them. When students make the connection between their
performance and feeling good about themselves, intrinsic motivation is enhanced and positive behaviour
continue.
 Engage positive role models: Families and community members are concerned about their children’s
welfare and often what to be engaged in their children integrate them into classroom and school activities
like curriculum activities, assemblies activities, committees activities, after school events and home work.
 Always be positive: Perhaps one of the most difficult strategies to promote learning is to be positive from
classroom to playground; during school and after school. A positive attitude is the change agent that will
create positive classrooms and schools that produce happy and successful students as propelled by the
teacher.
IV. Conclusion
No student can be academically successful if he/she lacks positive attitudes and perceptions about self,
peers, the instructor and the value of the tasks that make up the lesson. No matter how ambitious and well-
articulated a lesson may be no genuine and lasting learning will occur if your students do not perceive
themselves to be valuable and valued members of a learning community that is safe and orderly.
Children, young people and staff develop self-confidence, self-esteem and positive views about
themselves and their school through taking part in an extensive and varied programme of activities both within
and out of school hours. The world beyond the school is regularly used as a source of learning for all children
and young people.
References
[1]. American, According to Pediatrics. Manage Care and Children with Special Care Needs: Creating a Medical Home. Available at
www.aap.org/advocacy/mmendhan.htm. Accessed August 27,2004
[2]. COMPASS (2006). 3Ps and Cooperative learning: Training Manual for Trainers USA USAID
[3]. Fowawe, S.S & Ishola, A.A (2006). “Enhancing Early Childhood Education in Lagos State through Cooperative Learning and
Group Work” A Paper presented at the Lagos State University Conference. Faculty of Education 24-27 July
[4]. Midel, W.T & Reymolds A.J. (1999). Parents involvement in Early Intervention for Disadvantaged Children.
[5]. Nord, W.T & Bimball D (2012). Parents involvement in their children’s school. Washington D.C US Department of Education.
[6]. Nord, W. T.& Bimball, O. (2013). Parent-Teacher Partnership in Learning. Washington D.C US Department of Education.
[7]. Undiyaundeye, F.A (2014). Parenting Children for Early Childhood Education: Literacy Acquisition Skills. IJIER 2(4) 1-8 October
December 2014
[8]. UNICEF (1999). Parent Education Supporting Children’s First Teachers.

Creating Parent- Teacher Partnership in Promoting Learning

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