Building positive relationships and connecting regularly with families is the foundation of all family engagement efforts. Without these positive relationships, teachers and parents may struggle to partner together successfully to support children’s learning. Despite this, most teachers are not formally trained in techniques to build relationships with parents, especially families who come from different cultural backgrounds. These skills may come naturally to some teachers, and they may require more training and practice for others. Nonetheless, exposure to tips and information in this area can help all teachers shift from working for families to working with families.
Join Our New Pilot Program!
We invite Texas school districts with prekindergarten programs to pilot a Family Engagement Survey designed to strengthen family–school partnerships and support High‑Quality Pre‑K (HQPK) Family Engagement Plans. By joining the pilot, districts will receive a unique survey link to share with families, who will complete a short anonymous survey about their experiences with communication and collaboration. Summarized results and recommendations will be shared with each participating district. Findings from the pilot will help refine the survey to ensure usefulness in improving family-school collaboration.
To learn more, please contact: Dr. Keisey Fumero at [email protected]
Teacher Toolkit:
Tips for Building Relationships: English | Spanish
This is a quick reference guide for strategies that build positive working relationships with families. These strategies are discussed in more depth in the Partnering with Families and Promoting Positive Communication professional learning session.
Related Professional Development:
Professional Learning Session: Partnering with Families and Promoting Positive Communication