Your graphic is easy to follow and could be printed and easily used. I like to from day one ask for grace and give grace. Most parents are doing the very best they can and also sending us the very best they have. Knowing this I work with all parents hoping that just because we had a rough start doesn’t mean every time cannot be positive. I continue to make every effort to build a community with all stakeholders and if that doesn’t happen after a visit or two I ask for help from a peer or admin for future visits.

If your first contact with a parent is to discuss a problem, mark your calendar to contact them again in a week. Over the next week, find some positives to share with the parent. You need to show that you are seeing their child as a valuable member of your class. Then reach out to a few more parents with positives. It can pay off in the future.

I love the graphic. I had a difficult parent that seemed very aggressive when it came to communication and relationships. I decided to have a class “ Thanksgiving” lunch and I asked her to help (paring her with a more positive parent). The luncheon was a success. We invited the parents to participate. During the meal the students were able to write down on a piece of paper what they were thankful for. I typed it up and emailed the student responses. The difficult parent’s child had a specific thanks. It was that her mom helped at school and came to the party. The parent called crying because she had never been asked to help. It made her feel welcomed and wanted. Sometimes parents just need that extra push to engage.