Building Bridges: The Power of Parent Partnerships in Supporting Struggling Students
As educators, we often put pressure on ourselves to help every student become their best version of themselves. We are not alone.
One of the best and most powerful, yet most often overlooked, resources we have for supporting students who are difficult or struggling is the active involvement of their parents or guardians.
If you check your local social media “INSERT TOWN NAME Discussion Board,” you can see that some of this apprehension is rooted in fear. No teacher, especially a new one, wants to see their singular perspective conversations, missing all context, strung out online.
Working successfully with any parent/guardian starts with laying down a firm foundation. We must start with this base: EVERY PARENT/GUARDIAN LOVES THEIR CHILD. We may sometimes disagree with what that looks like in terms of parenting, but unless we accept that as a universal truth, we can never harness the potential of a cooperative relationship that ultimately benefits the student.
Students who experience difficulties with academics, behaviorally or emotionally, can benefit from consistent support between school and home. To make alliances with your parents/guardians, it is essential to have shared expectations and open communication.
Just as a teacher conveys frustrations with aspects of their students’ education, you must be open to honest conversations about the frustrations that parents/guardians might have with your approach. That is not to say that we pander, but rather acknowledge that parents’/guardians' insights are just as valuable as our own. Their insights can significantly inform us of how to provide the highest yield in our interactions with their students.
Building rapport and trust through consistent communication with families is critical. And never forget the power of positive phone calls.
With so many responsibilities and pressures, it is easy to fall into a routine where perfect behavior and performance are always expected — especially at the high school level, where the students in our seats appear as full adults.
Even in poor learning cultures, a vast majority of the students are doing many positive things! “Catch” them doing something positive. Go out of your way to call 5-10 parents/guardians a week, praising the great things you see.
Parent/guardian collaboration does not require formal or time-consuming, elaborate meetings. Something as simple as phone calls celebrating improvements, collaborating on the best strategies or merely listening can be enough to involve a parent/guardian.
2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year Corey Rosser is a social studies teacher at Quest High School in North Branch Area Schools in his 22nd year of teaching.