Christian Educators Journal: December 2023

Christian Educators Journal December 2023 Vol. 63 No. 2

Parent Partnerships A Christian Community of Learners or a Christian Learning Community?

When Parents and Schools Disagree Twenty-­First Century Strategies for Effective Parent Communications Parents as Co-­Teachers Out of the Helicopter, onto Common Ground Healthy and Honest Opportunities to Connect and Communicate Are Teachers Parents or Pedagogues?

Future Issues February 2024—Inclusive Education Christian schools have long been known as welcoming and supportive communities for students with a variety of learning needs. It has been more than a decade since CEJ has focused on inclusive education, and we are eager to hear how schools have found creative ways to include and support students with disabilities in the body of Christ. Ideally, this issue will include students with physical disabilities (e.g., Spina bifida, limited mobility, or visual impairments), cognitive impairments or emotional disabilities (e.g., Down syndrome, emotional impairment), or neurodivergences (e.g., autism, ADHD). What are the best practices for serving these students in the general education classroom? What unique programs does your school offer to enrich these students and those around them (sports, clubs, tutoring partnerships)? How do you train aides, parapros, and faculty alike? What physical spaces and adaptations do you offer? We’re hoping to hear from classroom teachers, support staff, inclusion coordinators, parents, and even students themselves.

April 2024—Resource Review Each year we highlight the best books, films, websites, teaching tools, and other resources for Christian school teachers. We publish reviews of student-facing material (like which books to stock in your classroom library) as well as materials relevant to school staff (like curricula or books about teaching). Articles may focus on one text or may be written in a list style featuring multiple texts around a particular theme.

Proposals (informal—just email us your idea!) are due December 29. Articles are due January 29

Contents

3 Editorial 4 A Christian Community of Learners

or a Christian Learning Community?

How a Podcast Brought Us Together KEVIN MIRCHANDANI

9 The Great Debate: When Parents and Schools Disagree about Curricular Choices

LESLEY DORHOUT, LAURA MAXEY, AND ERIN CONN

14 Twenty-­First Century Strategies for Effective Parent Communications DANIEL MATHEW

20 Parents as Co-­Teachers KELLY CAGLE

25 Out of the Helicopter, onto Common Ground YVONNE HARVEY

31 Healthy and Honest Opportunities to

Connect and Communicate with Parents TAMMY MAY

34 Are Teachers Parents or Pedagogues?

ADAM LANCASTER

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Christian Educators Journal Vol. 63 No. 2, December 2023 cejonline.com Editor Abby Zwart cejeditor@gmail.com The Christian Educators Journal (CEJ) encourages letters to the editor in response to articles presented in the CEJ. Letters must be accompanied by the author’s name and email address. The CEJ reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Where a letter addresses issues raised by the author of an article, the CEJ reserves the right to invite the article author to respond to the letter.

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Scripture All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Statement of Purpose The Christian Educators Journal Association publishes the Journal as a channel of communication for all educators committed to the idea of Christian day school at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. The views expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the association.

Reprint Policy We allow free reprinting or photocopying of individual articles that have appeared in our journal, as long as the copied articles are used within the context of schooling and the source is acknowledged.

Editor Abby Zwart Copyeditor Bethany Murphy Design Editor Klaas Wolterstorff Business Manager Klaas Wolterstorff Web Shepherd Heather Altena Board of Trustees Dr. Henry Algera Heather Birch Justin Cook Sara Leo Albert Kok (Chair) Gayle Monsma Ed Noot Jim Rooks Sean Schat Christine Scholma (Secretary) Tricia Stobbe Edith van der Boom Heather VanDyke Christine Webb Supporting Institutions Calvin University Edvance Christian Schools Association The King’s University Redeemer University Trinity Christian College Tyndale University Subscribing Organizations Christian Educators Association Christian Educators of British Columbia Prairie Centre for Christian Education Printed back issues (if available) can be purchased for $7.50 per copy (cost of shipping to be added to total).

Some back issues may be available in digital format.

Cover image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Editorial

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s an English teacher, one of my main goals is to form students into effective and empathetic communicators. I teach them how to write clear arguments, how to organize their ideas, how to select the best tone for an email, and how to confidently present in front of an audience. I love teaching these skills because while I’m not always convinced my students need to know the plot of The Great Gatsby or how to write a sonnet, I know they need to be great communicators, especially in this era of so much technological communication.

I’m so sure they need these skills because as an adult, I use this stuff every day. I send out agendas for department meetings. I let guidance counselors know that I have a student who is struggling. I present on the pros and cons of AI use to a group of colleagues. And, of course, I email parents.

Many of you certainly have great lines of communication open with the parents of your students. You love sending home newsletters, you drop emails when a student has a great day, and you welcome parents into your classroom for parent-teacher conferences. But it’s likely that many of you find parent communication to be fraught with discomfort—you worry about being overly negative or critical, you fear your words will be misconstrued, or perhaps you feel that parent emails are pointless because they never get read.

In this issue, we hope you will find some tips and solutions for communicating effectively and building partnerships with parents. Kevin Mirchandani and Lesley Dorhout explain two specific situations that have required parent communication, and then our next four writers give overviews of many methods their schools use to partner with parents. Adam Lancaster rounds out the issue with a more theoretical piece investigating the ideal relationship between parents and teachers.

Good educators know that learning happens as often at home as it does at school, so effective parent-teacher partnership is vital to the academic and spiritual growth of all students.

— Abby Zwart

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A Christian Community of Learners or a Christian Learning Community?

How a Podcast Brought Us Together KEVIN MIRCHANDANI

I I had very little interest in engaging publicly in any discussion around controversial issues because they have often been the gravesites of Christian communities, due to our inability to navigate the dynamics of power, conflict, and change.

It was important to us that we support our teachers in conversations around biblical perspectives of gender and sexuality in a way that reflected an educational approach and a high level of care for all learners.

t was a Tuesday afternoon in early September of 2021. I had only recently started working at Langley Christian School (LCS) when I was passing by middle school principal Berkley Glazer’s office. Berkley and school counselor Dave McVety were having a lively discussion about something important that just needed to be done. They invited me in, and it was immediately apparent that I found myself in one of those uncomfortable but important conversations where I was faced with a decision: Are you in, or are you in?

In a previous educational leadership role, I had helped design a curricular progression that ensured we were sufficiently covering topics around Christian identity, gender, sexuality, and healthy relationships as per our requirements with the Canadian Ministry of Education. In my new role, I had been following the narratives of other Christian school communities across North America that were struggling with such conversations. I had very little interest in engaging publicly in any discussion around controversial issues because they have often been the gravesites of Christian communities, due to our inability to navigate the dynamics of power, conflict, and change (see Langberg 7).

In the conversation with Berkley and Dave, we talked about the need to train teachers for curricular conversations about sexuality and gender, so that they could facilitate learning among students that reflected Jesus’s compassion. I explained that in most cases, policy and curriculum development are put together before practice, and I cautioned them against this, as I did not want to get knee deep into an area that has been divisive in Christian educational spaces. However, Dave brought his years of practice as a school counselor, and Berkley brought his enthusiasm as an educational leader committed to care for all learners. Though my initial instinct had been to avoid taking a leadership role in the conversation, I paused to reconsider because I was starting my doctoral studies, and my desire to help Christian learning communities was an integral aspect of my learning. What was clear in that conversation was that it was important to us that we support our teachers in conversations around biblical perspectives of gender and sexuality in a way that reflected an educational approach and a high level of care for all learners.

Berkley, Dave, and I were having a great conversation, so I pulled out my phone and started recording our conversation. Later, we decided to share our thoughts with the staff—to be awkward, to fumble our way through our thinking, to model that this is a difficult conversation requiring reflection, and also to show how much we care about being a community of faith, teaching, and learning.

Berkley said that our larger community needed to hear this message, so 4

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we shared our first talk with the school community. We had no idea that what we were recording that day would be the first podcast episode of LCS Talks. We brought our short phone recording to our Media and Communications Manager at LCS, Dilan Bandara. Dilan found the content really compelling but was quite distraught at the distracting cacophony of school noises that impacted the audio experience. Even with his best efforts to fix the audio, our first episode reflected an unpolished but heartfelt desire to move from being a community of learners to a Christian learning community and invite our families into our learning journey.

The next Tuesday, Dilan, who was now our producer, set up his own podcast mics to record us as we reflected on our Friday professional learning time. Since then, he has continued to refine our sound quality for a better audio experience. Berkley and I would meet each Tuesday following our Friday professional learning sessions, recording episodes with our staff in order to share them with our families. We recognized that we needed to communicate our distinct approach to our partnering families who are seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus. We believed our community effort required transparency, sharing our professional learning and practices and cultivating stories of impact that enrich the learning experience.

Recognizing the need to think about questions related to faith, identity, gender, sexuality, and education, this journey was not one of scripted perfection, but rather a willingness to be a compassionate and learning-­focused community. This task shaped how we think about our families as members of our Christian learning community. Our efforts were catalyzed by learning for our community, but also with our community.

what we were recording that day would be the first podcast episode of LCS Talks.

This journey was not one of scripted perfection, but rather a willingness to be a compassionate and learning-­focused community.

Toward a Christian Learning Community In Lynn Swaner and Andy Wolfe’s 2021 book, Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools, the authors propose that the three-­ legged stool model—a partnership of school, church, and home—perhaps no longer reflects the current reality of the mission of Christian schools.

Instead, they argue, we need a table where the community can be invited into relationship, learning, and formation together (107).

The main obstacles to this new model are the fear of sharing learning, and the uncomfortable nature of speaking publicly on divisive topics around faith, identity, gender, sexuality, technology, intercultural understanding, racism and diversity, and social-­emotional development in a community of diverse perspectives. At a time when Christian schools are asking how we do this in a way that does not compromise beliefs and values, LCS has found hope in vulnerability, sharing, and inviting our community to learn.

The mission of Christian schools needs to reflect what it means to be and become a learning community that is transparent, courageous, continuously asking new questions, caring for students in their relationship with Jesus and others, and practicing faith together. To accomplish this, school leaders need a vision of Jesus as a learning teacher and also a learning leader.

When we read passages such as Romans 12:5, we need to recognize that we first belong together in Christ. Our belongingness is the reason why many members of different backgrounds can compose a community. When we have many members working together in distinctness, we can be united as one body.

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School leaders need a vision of Jesus as a learning teacher and also a learning leader.

We acknowledge the fear and silence that often surround challenging topics and have worked to address these concerns through open dialogue.

Reflecting on these initial conversations two years later, I’ve come to realize two foundational assertions that guide our approach: The first, as Dave McVety succinctly shared in season 1, episode 1 of LCS Talks, is that “we love Jesus, we love students, and we love God’s Word.” The second is that we embrace challenging conversations of belonging because we understand community to be part of the process of making us more like Christ.

Central to our approach is the creation of a community of learners—not just teachers and students who happen to be learners. We acknowledge the fear and silence that often surround challenging topics and have worked to address these concerns through open dialogue. Jesus, as both our example of the learning teacher and learning leader, serves as an inspirational model.

In light of Jesus’s posture of love, humility, and being full of grace and truth, we often go back to two theological realities in the imago Dei: (1) our learners are image-­bearers (Imes 3), and (2) in the incarnation, Jesus embodies empathy and submission (Lingenfelter & Lingenfelter 22). These theological truths provide a guiding approach to our educational journey. Embracing an empathetic approach, we hope to create an environment where every individual is valued.

Sharing Learning with Our Community

Season 2 investigated the impact that technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are having on our faith and identity formation in our K–12 Christian school.

We launched LCS Talks primarily to report back to the LCS community on our staff professional learning and to engage in conversations in the void of silence in K–12 Christian education, specifically in British Columbia. Our aim is to establish a culture of care that promotes the well-­being of our whole community. Engaged and faithful Christian learning communities address complex issues by reflecting on shared commitments to belonging in Christ.

Jesus’s interactions with individuals in the Gospels provide a rich source of inspiration. The narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1–26) exemplifies his acceptance of individuals before they accept his gift. Right relationship precedes right beliefs, right emotions, right volition, and right behavior (Lawson 6). This focus on relationships preceding rules becomes one of our guiding principles, allowing us to see Jesus as both full of grace and truth.

To communicate our learning and encourage family involvement, we adopted strategies to engage multiple platforms with blog posts, podcast subscriptions, and a YouTube channel. We started with the humble recordings in season 1 by facilitating talks around faith, identity, and sexuality, delving into the significance of belonging and being “in Christ.”

Season 2 investigated the impact that technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are having on our faith and identity formation in our K–12 Christian school. In the spring of 2022, before open access to AI boomed, our discussions took on a prescient relevance. We shared tech advice, but we also looked for questions that our families were asking to discuss how we would help students develop faith-­informed discernment with their technology stewardship.

Season 3 aired during the 2022–23 school year. We discussed our learning about lifelong Christian formation from prominent thinkers such as John Roberto. We have found our perspectives have broadened regarding 6

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what it means to be a Christian learning community, where our identity is not only in right belief or a shared worldview, but in becoming more like Christ as we learn.

With the launch of season 4 this fall (2023), our focus has turned to faith, identity, and social-­emotional development—another void of silence.

This season emphasizes how people become more like Christ in the work of building relationships. We are examining how to support the diverse learning needs of students, develop our community’s social-­emotional capabilities, build a service learning program for all learners, and see faith-­ formation and social-­emotional development as two sides of the same coin.

Impact on Our Community Some important transformations have taken place in our community. The first is a transformation of who we are as learning leaders—and I emphasize the learning aspect. While we have spoken with members of our community and leading Christian thinkers in the field on our podcast, our goal has been to model how Christian learning communities require some courageous risk-­taking to support the faith formation of students and families. We have discovered how a community that starts from a place of learning and non-­ expertise prioritizes the development of people.

The reception from our community has been really positive. We have had local and international staff and families reach out and inquire about the school after finding us online. It is a podcast with no ambitious intentions of dominating the industry. It is simply a space that connects people to a community of learners.

It has been a privilege to facilitate one aspect of Langley Christian School’s journey to partner with families in their students’ academic and spiritual education. We hope to be a thriving Christian learning community. As we navigate the intersection of education, faith, and identity, we recognize the formative role that a community plays, and we believe more faith-­forming interactions are possible when our families are a part of the Christian learning community.

Reflection Questions 1. What courageous risk might your school community take when it comes to understanding professional learning for the benefit of the whole community?

2. What are ways that your school can share its investment of time, resources, and energy in professional learning with your school community (i.e., visual learning plans, shared learning experiences, stories of learning)?

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Our goal has been to model how Christian learning communities require some courageous risk-­taking to support the faith formation of students and families.

Works Cited Imes, Carmen J. Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters. IVP Academic, 2023.

Langberg, D. Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church. Brazos, 2020.

Lawson, Kevin E. “Proposal for ‘Right-­Handed’ Christian Education.” Journal of Christian Education & Information Technology, 2006, pp. 81–110.

Lingenfelter, Judith E., and Sherwood G. Lingenfelter. Teaching Cross-­ Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching. Baker Academic, 2003.

Swaner, Lynn E., and Andy Wolfe. Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools. Eerdmans, 2021.

Kevin A. Mirchandani is the K–12 Director of Instruction at Langley Christian School and Adjunct Professor of Education and Leadership at Trinity Western University, British Columbia. He is also a third-year PhD student in Educational Studies at Biola University.

Scan the QR code below to visit our podcast page

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The Great Debate: When Parents and Schools Disagree about Curricular Choices LESLEY DORHOUT, LAURA MAXEY, AND ERIN CONN

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isagreement and misunderstanding over curricular choices present perhaps one of the greatest threats to the parent-­school partnership.

Teachers and administrators engage in serious and often difficult conversations when parents question literature their students read and discuss in class. Through reflection and effort to promote best practice, schools can mitigate controversy surrounding course material and preserve the parent-­ school relationship. To reduce contention and build relationships, we suggest implementing a systematic process, while also planning for extensive, intentional communication coupled with abundant, God-­empowered grace and empathy.

Through reflection and effort to promote best practice, schools can mitigate controversy surrounding course material and preserve the parent-­school relationship.

School Dynamics The presence of sin is not exempt from Christian communities. Even covenant-­model schools—Christian schools for Christian families—can experience difficulty in curricular implementation. Jesus binds, but doctrine and opinion can still divide. As a result, the parent and faculty partnership can become strained and even fractured. While questioning the curriculum, parents may voice distrust of teachers; teachers may feel their professionalism discredited; and administrators may grow bewildered as they strive to support teachers while also understanding curricular questions and parental concerns.

This contingency for controversy applies to nearly all subject matters (e.g., science and evolution, history and bias, literature and censorship), and still teachers must strive to thoroughly equip students with what Gloria Ladson-­Billings describes as culturally relevant curriculum (159). Teaching culturally relevant material, while simultaneously aligning with various walks of faith and opinions, necessitates a thorough curricular examination through the lens of multiple stakeholders, such as students, parents, school personnel, churches, and communities (159). Based on our combined and varied experiences as principal, professor, program director, department chair, classroom teacher, and parent, we recommend developing a process for adopting or refining a curricular canon, much like the one below.

Process for Curricular Implementation Because stakes are high and the mission to educate the next generation is critical, selecting texts and materials to train students with excellence and Christian Educators Journal

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We recommend developing a process for adopting or refining a curricular canon.

relevance is of utmost importance. Schools should prioritize creating their own systematic procedure for curricular implementation, as varying opinions, even in Christian communities, can cause unnecessary division and strife if a clearly defined process and defense is not in place. A simple strategy could include the following four steps: investigate, discuss and decide, communicate, and respond with Matthew 18.

Step 1: Investigate

The teacher must consider opinions and conversations that may ensue with concerned parents if the material is adopted.

The teacher intending to expand the current curriculum completes an online search, looking specifically for reviews and controversies surrounding the potential course material. The online search likely reveals any reviews curious parents will see if they investigate class texts. The teacher must consider opinions and conversations that may ensue with concerned parents if the material is adopted. Teachers should also look for possible misunderstandings surrounding the material. Maybe the book is appropriate, but the movie is not. Maybe the short story is appropriate, but the novel is not. Maybe the title being considered is appropriate, but another text with the same title (but different author) is not. The investigation should also consider any possibility of guilt by association.The teacher must weigh the caliber of the material with the contingency for controversy. If the teacher would like to move forward in adoption, the material is then discussed with an expanded group, including the department and administration.

Step 2: Discuss and Decide If the suggested text is defensible after step 1, the teacher brings the text to the department level. Department members, along with the principal or administrator, discuss potential disputes embedded within the material, recognizing that we live in a fallen world with nearly every text containing some element of sin. The group must decide if the rationale and context for teaching—measured with the anticipation of parental concerns—warrant the addition of the material to the canon. A simple “pros and cons” list may be part of this step, but the discussion and decision may also take several weeks to complete if the group chooses to closely review the text. The end of the discussion step results in a decision to adopt or not.

When teachers make the effort to communicate well, they can better control the course narrative by highlighting positive aspects of class material, acknowledging any controversial aspects, and providing a rationale for their choices.

Step 3: Communicate Often the parental alarm is raised when parents receive information without a greater context. Intentional communication can prevent or assuage this alarm. When teachers make the effort to communicate well, they can better control the course narrative by highlighting positive aspects of class material, acknowledging any controversial aspects, and providing a rationale for their choices. The exact text, author, format, publication date, and ISBN number should be clearly communicated to parents to avoid guilt by association.

We suggest teachers use the learning management system (LMS) to provide curricular context, including key concepts and educational outcomes based on the text or unit. The information on the LMS provides parents with the big picture and serves to dispel miscommunication, misinformation, 10

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and conflict. Populating the LMS with ample learning material and helpful links associated with the learning goals provides families with useful resources and promotes transparency from the school to the home, thereby reinforcing the parent-­school partnership. Newsletters and email also serve well for sharing the larger purpose for a unit.

Step 4: Respond with Matthew 18 In instances where parents still disagree with curricular choices, relying on the Matthew 18 principle promotes a pathway forward. In Matthew 18, Jesus instructs his followers to “point out faults” in their congregations by first discussing the matter “just the two of you.” If that doesn’t work, they are told to bring in other witnesses—a small group who can adjudicate. And if disagreement still exists, they are to bring the matter to the whole church. Conforming to the spirit of Matthew 18, families who are concerned about classroom matters, including course texts, should first meet with the classroom teacher. Families should be encouraged to proceed with confidentiality, straightforwardness, openness, and submission in line with the culture and values of the school’s founding and leadership. Likewise, teachers should listen to concerns with open ears and prayerful consideration. If the issue remains unresolved, all stakeholders should pray and then move their concerns upward in the school organizational structure for discussion.

Parents, teachers, administrators, and students all experience some form of angst during curricular conflict. The phone calls, emails, and meetings are often undesirable yet inevitable—and in line with Matthew 18. The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy all that promotes the name of Jesus, including schools, families, and individuals (John 10:10). Christian educators must guard their hearts (Prov. 4:23), and they must ask God to soften or change them as any difficult situation continues to unfold (Rom. 9:18).

Families should be encouraged to proceed with confidentiality, straightforwardness, openness, and submission.

Practices That Build Partnerships Christian parents strive to protect their children while preparing them to be effective Christian ambassadors and productive members of society, and yet many parents recognize that this is not a task they can do on their own.

Parents want to—and need to—trust teachers. As such, teachers play a pivotal role in moving the parent-­school partnership forward. By tempering decisions, behaviors, and words with empathy and grace, teachers can strengthen and solidify this vital relationship.

Empathy Based on our years of experience in and out of the classroom, we found empathy to be a powerful tool for understanding parents and their concerns. Empathy requires being observant, listening, and focusing on similarities rather than differences. Still, during trying times, empathy may be underutilized, as we assume or draw conclusions—positive or negative— about others. Instead, we must follow the apostle Paul’s charge to capture our thoughts and bring them to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). As we yield our thoughts to Christ’s control, he sanctifies our hearts, minds, and desires so that we Christian Educators Journal

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By tempering decisions, behaviors, and words with empathy and grace, teachers can strengthen and solidify this vital relationship.

humbly and sincerely care for those he brings into our professional lives (John 15:12–17). Further, empathy is not transactional, and those we empathize with may reject our choices and us. Still, this does not excuse us from responding with care and concern.

Grace Jesus called his followers to love, serve, and sacrifice for one another. Yet, when Christian parents seem to assume the worst of teachers or accuse teachers of exposing students to inappropriate curriculum, responding with grace is a challenge. Educators must refuse to judge and, instead, seek to understand (Heb. 12:15). To that end, asking open-­ended questions provides greater context and often reveals the deeper tensions parents are experiencing. For example, it is important to ask questions such as, “What do you hope your child takes away from this school year? What questions or concerns do you have about their learning? In what ways would you like to see them grow or be challenged?” As teachers begin to discern the truest concerns of parents, responding with grace becomes easier. They can extend blessing, rather than cursing (Rom. 12:14). They can set an example of love and service (Gal. 5:13). They can allow the Holy Spirit to heal wounds and bind hearts, which eventually restores the parent-­teacher relationship in cases where it may have been strained.

Conclusion

Researching and rationalizing curricular choices and preparing for anticipated pushback with a critical Christian perspective takes work, but ideally, it results in fewer controversies and increased levels of trust between the school and home.

Embracing a proactive model of curricular adoption positions educators to confidently move forward as designers of student learning. Researching and rationalizing curricular choices and preparing for anticipated pushback with a critical Christian perspective takes work, but ideally, it results in fewer controversies and increased levels of trust between the school and home. When questions or frustration about curriculum persist, embracing Matthew 18 and responding in grace provides a way forward.

Partnering with parents can be fraught with obstacles, as the line between black and white can become a larger sea of gray. Yet in the struggle, God provides pathways for us to trust him as we practice better communication and abundantly extend grace. As Christians, we know and have experienced the humbling truth of Scripture and the unifying grace of God. When conflict arises, we must turn to the one source of authority we agree upon: the Bible. We must teach with integrity, hold our tongues when we are emotionally charged, listen with compassion, model grace and understanding, ask for wisdom and humility, and continue to emulate Christ in our daily walk.

Works Cited Ladson‐Billings, Gloria. “But That’s Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.” Theory into Practice, vol. 34, no. 3, 1995, pp.

159–65.

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Dr. Lesley Dorhout returned to K–12 after teaching and researching at the university level. She has published academic works focusing on literacy, online learning, and student success. Though an action researcher, she prefers to be in the classroom learning alongside her students.

After serving with AmeriCorps as a College Guide for underserved high school students, Laura Maxey (MA) began her teaching career as an 8th–12th grade English teacher. Now she is the English Department Chair and is passionate about student literacy and growth.

Mrs. Erin Conn (MAT) is an upper school principal at a preK–12 school and has devoted her career to Christian education. Before entering administration, she served as an upper school English instructor and curriculum coordinator. She enjoys supporting faculty, students, and parents.

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Twenty-­First Century Strategies for Effective Parent Communications DANIEL MATHEW

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Even with the multiple tools and methods of communications available to schools and teachers, effective communications can still be challenging, due to language and cultural barriers, technological savvy or lack thereof, and information overload.

eport cards, interims, and parent-­teacher conferences were once the mainstays of teacher to parent communications. An occasional newsletter or notice home or phone call was used to highlight or bring attention to something special. Schools have moved away from paper and use a variety of online methods to replace notices and newsletters. Yet, fundraisers and some formal documents can still require paper. Emails, texts, school-­based apps, parent portals, and learning management systems (e.g., Google Classroom, Moodle, and Seesaw) now play a significant role in our professional responsibility to “communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents/guardians” (British Columbia Teachers’ Council 4).

Even with the multiple tools and methods of communications available to schools and teachers, effective communications can still be challenging, due to language and cultural barriers, technological savvy or lack thereof, and information overload.

When we reflect on how Jesus communicated, we see that context and relationships played an important role. Jesus’s communication was rooted in the oral traditions of the day. And Jesus’s communication was always effective and timely. For example, the rich young man who wanted to earn his salvation was sent away sad because Jesus knew the precise words that would challenge his heart, and in speaking those words, he also challenged his own disciples.

As teachers today with so many methods of communication available to us, we must remember to consider the relationships that we need to foster with parents and the context of what is being communicated. These principles should be applied to the three broad categories of school communications: those with the whole school community, the classroom community, and the individual families.

Whole School Community Technology has greatly improved whole school communications. There are many efficient and effective ways to communicate with your entire school community. Shared calendars, weekly summaries or posts, school-­based apps, and social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook all help to disseminate information to your entire school community. With the plethora of options available for mass communications, it is important that schools use some strategic planning when communicating to the whole school. Parents are bombarded with electronic communications. Effective whole school communication practices need to keep in mind that parents should not be overwhelmed with multiple emails or notifications during a 14

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week. Having a web-­based calendar of events is effective because the calendar link does not change, and it can be updated and maintained easily.

Larger schools may need to consider different calendars for lower versus higher grades so that the calendar does not appear crowded and become difficult to read on a screen. From a web-­based calendar it is easy to create a short weekly summary that is usually sent on either a Friday or Monday to give parents a snapshot of the week ahead.

Use of social media platforms for whole school communications is beneficial if much of the community is engaging with the school’s chosen platform. However, parents can easily choose not to be part of a school’s social media. As a result, schools must consider the parent engagement level of social media tools and evaluate if communication goals are being met. Social media platforms are frequently used to communicate emergency situations like lockdowns. Given the fear and anxiety that real lockdown situations create, emergency social media messaging can have both positive and negative effects on your school’s community (for one example, see Claxton).

Parent portals and school-­based apps have some advantages compared to using social media sites for emergency situations. Since both portals and apps rely on messages being sent directly to a parent’s phone—rather than being widely broadcast on social media—schools have better control over the messaging. Direct text messaging platforms are another option and are becoming the standard messaging protocol for many schools. Checking our phones is habitual. In 2014, it was reported that “the average Canadian smartphone owner admits to checking their device six times per hour” (Bogart). High schools have found texting to be effective for reporting truancy.

Some school-­based apps and text messaging platforms also allow for tracking metrics to gauge the message penetration and response rates. Direct-­to-­ smartphone apps, portals, and texts are likely to become more popular as the next generation of parents’ smartphone usage becomes more entrenched.

Effective whole school communication practices need to keep in mind that parents should not be overwhelmed with multiple emails or notifications during a week.

Direct-­to-­smartphone apps, portals, and texts are likely to become more popular as the next

Classroom Community

generation of parents’

How classroom communications are carried out rests primarily with the classroom teacher. Schools may designate which learning management system (LMS) is adopted, but ultimately, teachers will determine the extent to which the LMS communication tools are used to foster good relationships and communications within the classroom community. Most systems do require parent participation via email or a specific app. As a result, just like social media platforms, not all parents may choose to be part of a classroom community managed by the teacher. Despite this, teachers’ use of the LMS to keep parents informed about field trips, homework, deadlines, hot lunch reminders, learning samples, and—most importantly—celebrating success helps to foster greater communication between the school, parent, and child.

An LMS allows the teacher to make short and effective daily communications to parents. For the primary grades, simple posts like, “Talk to your child about our walk today” help to create meaningful conversations at home.

Homework expectations and reminders for intermediate grades help to foster accountability and responsibility for students. At the high school level, most LMS tools allow parents to keep track of assignments and tests online. (It is important, however, to consider how many siblings a student has so that

comes more entrenched.

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smartphone usage be-

Overall, the classroom learning management system invites parents to be more intimately involved in their child’s class in ways that were previously not available.

Best practice suggests that teachers avoid text-­based communications with parents when parents are expressing concerns or need reminders that have already been posted on other platforms.

Email correspondence should be built upon some level of relationship with the parents.

teachers can mediate the volume of messages the LMS is sending to parents.)

The classroom LMS is also a good way to express thankfulness to parents who have helped or supported classroom activities, especially driving or chaperoning for field trips, organizing bake sales, or providing special treats. Overall, the classroom LMS invites parents to be more intimately involved in their child’s class in ways that were previously not available.

Individual Families Effective communication to individual parents requires careful preparation and planning. Most teachers have concerns about sharing personal phone numbers with parents. Inevitably, however, it is impossible not to share this information when organizing events where parent help is necessary. To maintain professional boundaries between the teacher and parents, teachers should use caution when engaging in texts or calls to parents from their personal device. Generally, best practice suggests that teachers avoid text-­ based communications with parents when parents are expressing concerns or need reminders that have already been posted on other platforms. Teachers should avoid this because it can easily lead to unwanted messages that interfere with their personal lives. Some teachers use secondary text-­based apps on burner phones, but this also can lead to intrusions into their personal and family time.

Some specialized cases, however, require unique forms of communication to families. Students on complex Individualized Learning Plans (IEPs) sometimes require daily logs that are often sent home by an educational assistant to document interactions between the teacher, student, and other classmates. In addition to this, educational assistants often have other frequent text communications with the child’s parents. Learning support teachers and classroom teachers overseeing a child whose IEP requires daily communication need to make sure that it remains professional and that parents are invited to use personal devices only in situations that will support the child’s learning. Other communications should be done face to face or by email, video, or phone calls.

Formal reporting periods and conferences have been mandated methods for teacher communications for decades. Even though report card and conference formats have changed, it is still important for teachers to communicate using other methods. Effective use of an LMS sometimes creates additional opportunities to help parents connect with the learning of their child. Since most LMS tools are tied to email accounts, parents and teachers have a way to connect that can foster personalized learning for their child.

Email correspondence between teachers and parents is also an important part of professional responsibilities. Some schools might have policies or protocols to help teachers deal with emails. Teachers should maintain a professional tone when responding to parent emails and avoid emails that use text-­like jargon or slang. Teachers should also be careful about the content and nature of what is being communicated to parents via email. Email correspondence should be built upon some level of relationship with the parents. For example, it would be unwise to communicate even a minor behavior incident about a child via email if there has been no previous relationship established with the parents. And it is good to remember that 16

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parents do not receive email information about their children in a homogenous manner. Even a mother and father might have different reactions to the same email message.

Some LMS tools allow the teacher to celebrate the success of individual students and easily share that with parents. This helps to build a good relationship with the parent, so that a foundation is laid for future communications. Parents need to feel like a teacher knows, understands, and cares for their child.

If your school uses the Google Workspace for Education suite, there are many add-­on productivity tools that can help to create and disseminate information efficiently. You will need to check with your school’s Google administrator as to which applications your school’s domain will allow. Some of the tools allow online permission forms and easy, cut-­and-­paste newsletters. One application that I have found valuable is CloudHQ’s Gmail to text add-­on Chrome extension for Gmail (see cloudhq.net/dashboard). This feature allows you to send an email message directly to a cell phone number.

This add-­on extension is an excellent way of connecting with parents who do not respond to emails.

Phone calls and one-­on-­one meetings are also a necessary part of a teacher’s responsibility and should not be avoided. Even though society’s communication is device-­driven, we know that we are created to be in relationship with both God and others. This requires talking in real time.

When a special phone call or one-­on-­one meeting is needed, teachers should prepare carefully and ensure that they give ample opportunity to listen to the parents. It may also be wise to document the meeting and determine what follow up may be required.

All the communication methods available to us today make many of our required tasks quick and efficient. Despite the ease of most methodologies, it is always important to use the tools in a way that will build a good relationship with parents and school families.

Works Cited Bogart, Nicole. “Canadians Check Their Smartphones Every Ten Minutes.” Global News, 4 February 2014. globalnews.ca/news/1127676/ canadians-­check-­their-­smartphones-­every-­10-­minutes-­poll/.

British Columbia Teachers’ Council. Professional Standards for BC Educators.

19 June 2019. www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-­to-­ grade-­12/teach/teacher-­regulation/standards-­for-­educators/edu_standards.pdf.

Claxton, Matthew. “Lockdown at Langley Schools Sparked by Online Threats of ‘Slaughter.’ ” Aldergrove Star, 5 May 2023. www.aldergrovestar.com/ news/lockdown-­over-­at-­two-­langley-­schools-­2268980.

Dan resides on a farm in Pitt Meadows and teaches on historical farming land at the King’s School in Langley, BC. He has officially taught every grade from K to 12 in some capacity over his twenty years of teaching. Dan enjoys camping, occasional cooking, and church life.

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Phone calls and one-­on-­ one meetings are also a necessary part of a teacher’s responsibility and should not be avoided.

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Parents as Co-­Teachers KELLY CAGLE

I The new concept of the University-Model school combined educators’ expertise and parents’ presence, stewarding both voices in a child’s education.

n 1992, a group of Christian homeschooling parents who desired to remain active in their children’s lives but also ensure their academic college readi­ ness designed a new way of schooling: the University-­Model (UM). The first UM school, Grace Preparatory Academy, opened its doors in Arlington, Texas, in the fall of 1993, offering the new concept that combined educators’ expertise and parents’ presence, stewarding both voices in a child’s education. University-­Model schools cannot exist without parent partnerships.

Educators and parents collaborate with and rely on one another to ensure students’ success. The outcome? Extremely engaged learners.

In this article, I will discuss three areas where parent partnerships are carried out in exceptional ways in University-­Model schools: disciple­ ship, self-­regulation, and communication. While this model is unique in educator-­parent collaboration, I will include implications for how traditional schools can also raise parent engagement in each of the three areas. To remain unbiased, due to my own family’s University-­Model school experiences, I asked a few UM participants—two moms and four students—to share their experiences as well.

Discipleship In a 2017 Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) report, Multiple Choice: How Parents Sort Education Options in a Changing Market, 68 percent of parents chose “strong principles and values” as their primary goal of education. In order to nurture these strong principles and values by partnering with a Christian school in the discipling of their children, University-­Model parents are committed to investing time and finances.

Time Although in-­person days in a University-­Model school are the same hours as a traditional school, students only physically attend school two or three days a week.

School hours in traditional schools are generally from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Although in-­person days in a University-­Model school are the same hours, students only physically attend school two or three days a week. Primary and elementary students (K–6) attend school in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while secondary students (7–12) attend campus on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. On those days, highly qualified educators teach new content to students, who then go home and practice learned content on their own with the help of their co-­teacher (parent) on satellite days (at-­home school days). This increased time with their children during the 20

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academic years provides parents extended opportunities for discipleship in everyday moments.

Because this type of learning is different from a traditional school, a family interview is conducted prior to acceptance where this commitment (and gift!) of time is thoroughly discussed. School leaders continually challenge families to use the gift of time particular to a UM school to instill strong values and point their children to Jesus during pivotal developmental years. Satellite days provide parents a unique opportunity to influence their children’s academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development. With this unique design, parents and educators must align biblically in principles and values, as both have ample discipleship opportunities in the student’s life.

Satellite days provide parents a unique opportunity to influence their children’s academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development.

Finances UM schools are Christian private schools with fees resembling traditional Christian schools. In addition to that fee, however, is the necessity of a parent’s presence during satellite days. In previous research (June 2021) where I interviewed seven UM parents to find the leading factors for choosing a UM school, I learned there are varieties of ways families make this piece work.

For example, in one family, the mom worked part time and only on the days her child was at school, while the dad worked full time. In another family, the couple scheduled their work around one another. The husband worked on the days his wife was off, and vice versa. Of the seven interviewed parents, only two participants were stay-­at-­home parents. These findings are evidence of the flexibility families can have during their children’s academic years.

Parents are willing to make these financial commitments because they recognize the importance of a Christian education and also desire the gift of time to disciple their children throughout their academic years.

Self-­Regulation The second area where UM parents partner with educators to further develop their children’s learning is through self-­regulation. Unlike skills children develop on their own, like walking and talking, self-­regulation skills must be taught by parents. According to Dale Schunk and Barry Zimmerman (2008), “Self-­regulated learning (or self-­regulation) refers to the process by which learners personally activate and sustain cognitions, affects, and behaviors that are systematically oriented toward the attainment of learning goals” (vii). In other words, it is when individuals take charge of their own learning journey. Although additional areas are studied, Zimmerman (1998) lists the following self-­regulation skills as the most popular: a) goal setting, b) task strategies, c) imagery, d) self-­instruction, e) time management, f ) self-­monitoring, g) self-­evaluation, h) self-­consequences, i) environmental structuring, and j) help seeking.

Self-­regulation in these areas is tremendously evident in UM students, primarily because parents play an integral part in their learning, comprehension, and development processes. UM parents help students establish good study habits, learn about time management, create a space to learn, and push through distractions (phones, TV, and siblings). Without context, Christian Educators Journal

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UM parents help students establish good study habits, learn about time management, create a space to learn, and push through distractions (phones, TV, and siblings).

I asked four students to share their experiences in certain areas as I sought to collect authentic responses, and the following were their words.

Student 1—seventh grade boy on environmental structuring: Question: How do you set up your workspace before you start school?

Answer: Whether at home or school, before I start working, I have to get my workspace organized. If not, I feel overwhelmed and anxious.

Student 2—fifth grade girl on task strategies: Question: Do you have a subject you like to start your satellite day with?

Why? Answer: I like to start my day with ELAR [English language arts and reading] because I have the most papers to do.

Student 3—second grade girl on self-­monitoring: Question: What helps you focus when you read?

Answer: I move around and be quiet and read in my head.

Student 4—seventh grade boy on time management: Question: When do you get your homeschool work done?

Answer: I go to Math Lab (a tutoring session at school on satellite days) and finish up all my work there by 11 a.m.

Follow-­up Question: What do you do the rest of the day?

Answer: I ride around in my four wheeler, go to the gym, or chill.

These responses are evidence of University-­Model students’ self-­ awareness and regulation. In a previous CEJ article, “COVID-­19 Lessons from a Mother’s Perspective,” I shared experiences from traditional public school students and parents from a New York Times piece and Christian school data from an ACSI report, as well as what I witnessed in my own household as UM participants. In that article, I discussed the tremendous contrast between those experiences, which is strongly related to the independence UM students develop from teachers in their academic trajectory.

Communication

What happens when communication is constant between two people? It becomes a relationship.

A final area where University-­Model school educators have a unique partnership with parents is communication. Communication is necessary in all school models to enhance the student’s academic outcomes; however, in addition to the general topics, such as grades and behaviors, UM school teachers also have to communicate with parents on a daily basis regarding assignment sheets, satellite work clarifications, and assisting parents in their role as co-­teachers.

To make the UM partnership work, constant communication is a must.

What happens when communication is constant between two people? It becomes a relationship. Teachers and co-­teachers establish a relationship throughout the school year where parents support teachers through prayer, become familiar with teachers’ coffee orders, and quickly solve problems because phone calls are made as soon as issues arise.

An example of the outcome of this ongoing communication and 22

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establishment of a relationship comes from a UM mother: “I attribute strong communication between my daughters’ two second-­grade teachers and myself as the co-­teacher in early detection and subsequent testing that confirmed my daughter’s learning disabilities.” Although testing and diagnosis is common in all school settings, this mother believes that the strong support of the three of them—the two teachers and herself as the co-­teacher—provided her daughter with “the highest level of educational support at the earliest possible moment in her education, helping preserve her love of learning.”

It is important to note that parents are given teachers’ cell phone numbers at the beginning of the school year, when appropriate phone etiquette is also discussed. As another UM mom shared, access to teachers is extremely beneficial to parents as they facilitate the student on satellite days because it eliminates any confusion about how the students were taught the material at school. According to her, teachers and co-­teachers are constantly problem solving to find ways to best support the student as a learner at school and at home.

Implications for Traditional Schools Although these experiences are unique to University-­Model school educators and families, traditional school policy makers and school leaders can also influence parent partnerships within their campuses in the areas of discipleship, self-­regulation, and communication. Leaders can help parents prioritize discipleship in the home by establishing a family ministry to educate parents to be engaged stewards of time and finances during the academic years. Workshops and teaching topics can include developmental conversations (e.g., technology boundaries, pornography, and bullying), emotional intelligence (e.g., how to process emotions, ways to advocate for their needs, appropriate ways to serve and love others), and academic growth (e.g., establishing healthy study habits, being confident students, and learning their strengths and weaknesses).

Training in self-­regulation in traditional schools takes tremendous intentionality because students’ schedules are more consumed by their time at school. However, educators and leaders can partner with parents to challenge their children through accountability in regard to time management (e.g., being selective with sports, volunteering, or family dinners), study habits (e.g., what helps them focus and learn information—notecards? Silence? Instrumental music? Being outdoors? Saying the information out loud?), and how to self-­monitor (e.g., ask themselves: am I understanding this? Do I need to ask for help?).

Communication between parents and educators in traditional schools can be revolutionized by educating parents of their role in their child’s learning journey. Parents have the best intentions in regard to their children’s schools, hence their financial investment to place them in Christian private schools. However, many are unaware of the ways to develop their child’s love of learning. They are present at their kids’ performances, volunteer for classroom parties, and are eager to sign up to bring the teachers’ favorite dish for teacher appreciation week. Their presence excites the students, and teachers are appreciative of their support, but none of these examples Christian Educators Journal

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Traditional school policy makers and school leaders can also influence parent partnerships within their campuses in the areas of discipleship, self-­regulation, and communication.

influence or impact their child’s learning journey. Sending monthly newsletters, hosting parent workshops, and providing teachers designated time to communicate with parents not just when academic concerns or behavior issues arise are helpful ways to improve communication and include parents in the child’s schooling trajectory.

Christian educators from University-­Model and traditional schools alike need to come alongside parents to encourage and equip them in their role as having the loudest voice of influence in their kids’ lives. Culture is attempting a pull at children with unbiblical agendas. It is time to combine forces between educators and parents to work toward the same mission of equipping a kingdom-­minded generation with academic and biblical strategies, so they will boldly and confidently go into the world and fulfill the Great Commission of loving God and loving people.

Works Cited Association of Christian Schools International. Multiple Choice: How Parents Sort Education Options in a Changing Market. Produced in partnership with the Barna Group. 2017.

Cagle, Kelly S. “COVID-­19 Lessons from a Mother’s Perspective.” Christian Educators Journal, vol. 61, no. 1, October 2021, pp. 32–36.   . “School Choice and University-­Model Schools: A Phenomenological Study.” Journal of Research on Christian Education, vol. 30, 21 June 2021, pp. 144–59.

Schunk, Dale H., and Barry Zimmerman. Motivation and Self-­Regulated Learning: Theory, Research, and Applications. Taylor & Francis Group, 2008.

Zimmerman, Barry J. “Academic Studying and the Development of Personal Skill: A Self-­Regulatory Perspective.” Educational Psychologist, vol. 33, 1998, pp. 73–86.

Personal interviews with UM mothers occurred on August 4, 2023.

Personal interviews with UM students occurred on September 12–13, 2023.

Dr. Kelly Cagle equips parents during their child’s academic years to bring learning to everyday moments and raise lifelong learners. Find her services at drkellycagle. com; follow her work on Instagram @drkellycagle; and subscribe to her podcast, Parenting IQ.

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Out of the Helicopter, onto Common Ground YVONNE HARVEY

A

s parents seek more involvement in their child’s education, let us lay out the welcome mat and explore ways teachers and parents can build partnerships where everyone feels valued.

I fully understood the value of parent partnerships when I started working in a Christian school. A remarkable aspect of Christian education is that we, teachers and leaders, are commanded by Christ to love others as ourselves, a self-­sacrificial posture that invites people into authentic relationship and, in respect to parents, a genuine partnership. Rightfully, developing these partnerships is complex when children are at the center, especially if we are all on different pages.

The management of parent-­teacher relationships has become increasingly complex over the past twenty-­five years, as parents have grown in their education around schooling (whether perceived or actual) and moved away from a passive acceptance of teacher advice. While having an educated partner can lead to positive outcomes, it can also become an Achilles’ heel if both parties feel they are the experts regarding the individual child.

When I became a teacher in 1996, parents rarely questioned their children’s progress. Now, as a principal in 2023, parents often question their child’s learning. Additionally, I am regularly asked by staff how best to manage parent “situations.” Heike Buhl observes that while parent-­teacher conversations are essential, they can be dissatisfying for both parties. In my experience, teachers have become increasingly cautious about navigating complicated matters with parents, and the media labeling of “helicopter parents” has not helped. It is untenable to have teachers arriving at work anxious and parents feeling unwelcome in an environment where they leave their most precious gifts from God. Therefore, at the school I work in, Heathdale Christian College, I ask, “What strategies are essential for teachers to build successful, authentic parent-­teacher partnerships in a welcoming primary school?”

Research indicates there is limited teacher training around constructive communication with parents, and that there is limited buy-­in from teachers with available training (Seymour et al.). Tenure does not necessarily mean teachers do better in this area. However, the research shows that if teachers are open to learning how to use counseling and active listening skills, as well as practicing conversations using role play and exploring expectations on both sides, then there will likely be greater satisfaction for both parents and teachers. Additionally, it is more likely that student learning will increase, parents will feel welcome at the school, and teachers’ job satisfaction will rise (Buhl).

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While having an educated partner can lead to positive outcomes, it can also become an Achilles’ heel if both parties feel they are the experts regarding the individual child.

At Heathdale, to continually improve parent-­teacher partnerships, we have concentrated on training staff in the skills needed, which has enhanced the genuinely authentic partnerships we claim we offer in Christ.

Experts on All Sides A recent survey at our school unearthed a discrepancy between what teachers and parents view as genuine dialogue and mutual respect within parent-­teacher relationships.

Before we addressed these issues at Heathdale, we needed to find out what parents were thinking. A recent survey at our school unearthed a discrepancy between what teachers and parents view as genuine dialogue and mutual respect within parent-­teacher relationships. The literature in this field indicates that this is not uncommon.

Loizos Symeou and colleagues evaluated in-­service training on teacher-­ parent communication. Their findings revealed that teachers view themselves as experts in school environments and that they sometimes consider parents’ contributions unwelcome. Unfortunately, this creates problems because, according to Debra Miretzky’s findings, parents want to be valued and can become frustrated when their expertise regarding their children is overlooked (Hale et al.).

A central tenet of my school’s mission is to partner with parents in raising and educating children, acting as “parent delegates” during school hours. We say this is foundational to our core, yet some parents felt there were insufficient contact opportunities with teachers and that communication regarding their children’s progress was infrequent. Some parents worried about approaching staff, as they were always busy.

For success in increasing a child’s learning growth, parents need to understand where the child is situated in their learning and how to support consequent goals. This can only be achieved if the parent and teacher trust each other and have an effective channel of dialogue. One of the College’s strategic directions is “Thriving Communities,” which aims to engage parents in school life. Naturally, engagement does not happen if parents do not feel welcome.

The Value of Informality One study by Hélène Leenders and colleagues of eighteen different schools in the Netherlands aimed to gain a deeper insight into the communication practices of teachers. This included how teachers build and sustain trust, encourage the partnership to be honest in expectations of each other, and support parents. It highlighted the importance of building trust before anything substantial is discussed and the value of informal conversations and unscheduled visits.

But how do you make room for informal and unscheduled interactions in the day-­to-­day of a busy school? Experience has shown me that those unscheduled visits and parents’ frequent communication often unsettle teachers. Leender’s solution concentrates on the critical concept of two-­way communication, further developed by Karmen Palts and Halliki Harro-­Loit.

Their findings suggest that if teachers take time to get to know parents better, they can identify and adapt communication patterns to assist the child.

Kevin Swick frames this as a need for teachers to be approachable so 26

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parents feel comfortable and secure. Learning to be approachable includes learning why approachability is needed, practicing active listening skills, addressing communication patterns and role expectations (Cheatham & Ostrosky), and increasing skills in counseling (Buhl et al.; Symeou et al.).

The traditional view of teachers as experts and parents as passive observers is no longer a characteristic in today’s educational climate. This means teachers need to find a new way of relating to parents, and if they are not trained, it is imperative that their workplace adequately equips them. Buhl indicates positive personal effects for teachers who learn professional competence in talking to parents, including innovation, career advancement, and occupational wellbeing. But more crucial is how the parent-­teacher relationship affects children. Their development is paramount, especially in a primary school, and it is clear that children benefit from high-­quality parent-­teacher relationships (Leenders).

Learning to be approachable includes learning why approachability is needed, practicing active listening skills, addressing communication patterns and role expectations, and increasing skills in counseling.

Train to Avoid Derailing At Heathdale, we see good communication as a foundation of thriving communities, and we aim to prioritize positive communication and collaboration. If the school makes good communication part of the school culture, parents will learn to become active, positive partners (Palts et al.). Evidence shows that schools often control the narrative, giving the impression that communication is one way (Symeou et al.). My experience suggests this is because teachers can be intimidated by parents; after all, teachers do not have adequate training in this area. Leadership, therefore, needs to express the importance of communication training for it to be seen as a priority. In our case, we began a series of professional development sessions.

Expected outcomes from our series of professional development and teacher training were the following: • An increase in solid and authentic partnerships between parents and teachers.

• An increase in the amount of informal communication with the teacher.

• A clarification on both sides of what each party can realistically offer.

• Trust, recognition, and two-­way communication.

• An increase in active listening and counseling skills.

• A decrease in teachers’ fear of parents.

• A toolbox of communication patterns that can be employed across various parent experiences and presentations.

The leadership identified several potential challenges to these outcomes.

The first anticipated challenge was that teachers strongly believe they are always available and approachable. It was possible, then, that teachers would 1) be upset to hear this is not always the case, 2) believe the change was not necessary, 3) think that communication is not as important as increasing results, or 4) find it difficult not to see themselves as an expert above reproach.

To remediate this and promote investment in the sessions, we needed to develop their understanding that there are many ways to form a partnership.

The second challenge was the potential for parent complaints as teachers implement and practice a new mindset. Trying a new skill in any sphere Christian Educators Journal

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Evidence shows that schools often control the narrative, giving the impression that communication is one way.

Parents could become confused and perhaps even suspicious as teachers adjust their stance, leading to further dissatisfaction on both sides.

can lead to stumbles, and other priorities may slip. Parents could become confused and perhaps even suspicious as teachers adjust their stance, leading to further dissatisfaction on both sides. This meant we needed to be sure of our core values and expected outcomes and practice on each other with relevant feedback before we made fundamental changes.

The third challenge was the issue of experience versus expertise. This was anticipated particularly regarding teachers who have years of experience. They may believe that how they have communicated is appropriate and the data does not apply to them. We thought this could be remedied by teachers viewing themselves in role-­play, watching how they appear.

Feedback would need to be clear and kind, with each person learning more each time.

A three-­part series of whole-­staff professional development meetings was developed that took the following format: Meeting 1: The challenges of parent partnerships (who we say we are in Christ, what our data says we are, practicing active listening and setting expectations).

Meeting 2: The mindset of teachers who foster effective parent partnerships (what the research says in this field, plus a deep dive into Horst Schulze’s Excellence Wins about how businesses put the client’s needs first).

Meeting 3: A framework to develop effective parent partnerships (a thorough examination of communication using Crucial Conversations [Patterson et al.] and The Skilled Helper [Egan]). The framework includes the following: setting an appropriate mindset when partnering with the parent, giving the parent time to be heard no matter how difficult, being honest as the teacher and explaining your own point of view calmly and kindly, and brainstorming toward a win-­win for the child and all involved.

We have created a middle line where teacher and parent needs are being met more in the center.

While the professional development work didn’t show results that were immediately tangible, it has given us something to keep coming back to when partnerships become tricky. Skills are developed over time, and teachers continue to practice them. Our teachers’ email skills have improved, and they are more confident when faced with difficult questions. We have created a middle line where teacher and parent needs are being met more in the center.

Helpful imagery for this middle line is to ask staff to imagine a train track where parents and teachers are going in the same direction. They are parallel, each track working alongside one another. They both have their own lane with their own expertise, but they understand that to keep the train on the track, they must work together. If the track breaks, the train derails—the train representing the child. The track represents a middle way.

The railway sleepers represent the support we have for each other. If we are blessed to work in a Christian school, we know Jesus is ultimately driving the train, and there is nothing to fear.

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Works Cited Buhl, Heike M., and Johanna Hilkenmeier. “Professionalism in Parent-­ Teacher Conversations: Aspects, Determinants, and Consequences. A Competence-­Oriented Discussion.” Journal for Educational Research Online, vol. 9, no. 3, 2017, pp. 102–13.

Cheatham, Gregory A., and Michaelene M. Ostrosky. “Whose Expertise? An Analysis of Advice Giving in Early Childhood Parent-­Teacher Conferences.” Journal of Research in Childhood Education, vol. 25, no. 1, 2011, pp.

24–44.

Egan, G. The Skilled Helper. 2nd ed., Cengage Learning EMEA, 2017.

Grenny, Joseph, et al. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. McGraw-­Hill Education, 2022.

Hale, Rebecca, Claire L. Fox, and Michael Murray. “ ‘As a Parent You Become a Tiger’: Parents Talking about Bullying at School.” Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 26, 2017, pp. 2000–15.

Leenders, Hélène, et al. “Building Strong Parent-­Teacher Relationships in Primary Education: The Challenge of Two-­Way Communication.” Cambridge Journal of Education, vol. 49, no. 4, 2019, pp. 519–33.

Miretzky, Debra. “The Communication Requirements of Democratic Schools: Parent-­Teacher Perspectives on Their Relationships.” Teachers College Record, vol. 106, no. 4, 2004, pp. 814–51.

Palts, Karmen, and Halliki Harro-­Loit. “Parent-­Teacher Communication Patterns concerning Activity and Positive-­Negative Attitudes.” TRAMES: A Journal of the Humanities & Social Sciences, vol. 19, no. 2, 2015, pp. 139–154.

Swick, Kevin J. “Communication Concepts for Strengthening Family-­School-­ Community Partnerships.” Early Childhood Education Journal, vol. 30, no.

4, 2003, pp. 275–80.

Symeou, Loizos, Eleni Roussounidou, and Michalis Michaelides. “ ‘I Feel Much More Confident Now to Talk with Parents’: An Evaluation of In-­ Service Training on Teacher-­Parent Communication.” School Community Journal, vol. 22, no. 1, 2012, pp. 65–87.

Yvonne Harvey, principal of the primary school at Heathdale Christian College, Werribee Campus, is an experienced educator in both primary and secondary and state and independent schools in Australia and the United Kingdom. She is skilled in educational leadership, using data to inform learning, student wellbeing, and teacher development, and she has a passion for partnering with parents in the educational journey of their child.

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Healthy and Honest Opportunities to Connect and Communicate with Parents TAMMY MAY

Our Why for Communication The definition of “communication,” according to Merriam-­Webster, is “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.” It is also described as personal rapport.

In our Title 1 elementary school, effective, engaging, and purposeful communication is our desire and focus. Our staff thrives on making sure that parents are fully aware of the happenings of school both in the classroom and the total school program. Being in the know helps everyone to grow and thrive, as all stakeholders have a part in the academic, social, and emotional growth of our young, impressionable students aged preschool through fifth grade.

Being in the know helps everyone to grow and thrive, as all stakeholders have a part in the academic, social, and emotional growth of our students.

Our How of Communication The old saying “it takes a village” certainly is emphasized when our staff plans, implements, and maintains effective lines of communication. One area of focus for our teachers is two smartphone applications called Seesaw and Dojo. With these tools, parents can not only communicate easily with the teachers throughout the day (receiving pictures, positive feedback, etc.) but also hear more about the happenings at school. Along with this, the secretary and bookkeeper send out messages about school and community events through another online tool called Apptegy Thrillshare. School happenings, T-­shirt ordering, PTO events and fundraisers, and other important school messages are easily conveyed to parents in a timely manner when they receive these specific emails and texts.

Beyond the emails, texts, and classroom teacher contacts, I, as the school leader, strive to make my conversations up-­f ront, candid, kind, and personal. Making phone calls to parents and guardians for both positive and negative behaviors is incredibly important. Taking time to actively listen to parents to ascertain their needs and desires is step one; knowing how to respond and assist is another. This form of two way communication is healthy and productive in the long run.

Video newsletters are also built into our school-­to-­home communication. I, along with a chosen staff member, have a sit down conversation about the school’s culture, innerworkings, and overall mission (we title it “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, and Healthy Relationships”). When parents can put a friendly, welcoming, and joyful face to the name of the principal, Christian Educators Journal

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Beyond the emails, texts, and classroom teacher contacts, I, as the school leader, strive to make my conversations up-­ front, candid, kind, and personal.

Our school’s Facebook page is highly active and highlights the determined efforts of the work we do at school.

Like other school divisions around the country, our school division has been the recipient of negative feedback and backlash from the community.

they are more likely to feel comfortable reaching out to me for any and all matters related to their children or the school.

Besides far-­reaching and detailed school-­to-­home communication, parents and guardians are invited to school events, field trips, and lunch with their children, and they can volunteer in the classroom or help in the school garden. Our belief is that family connections to the school in any capacity build and foster this important relationship.

Our reading specialists are most certainly at the forefront of parent communication, not only because of the Title 1 requirements from our division and state, but also because they are passionate about helping families to develop and foster literacy skills at home. Title 1 schools are ones that have large numbers of low-­income students, and because of this, they receive additional state funds to assist with students’ educational goals.

Without a doubt, our high-­poverty public school is in need of tools and resources to optimally help our students with reading. However, the best teachers are the parents in the work they do outside of school. Having their support is paramount, and giving families the tools for success is also critical.

Along with the aforementioned means of communication, our school’s Facebook page is highly active and highlights the determined efforts of the work we do at school. The enjoyment of school is captured in photos showing students not only at work in their classrooms but also with engaging and educational projects in the STEM lab or on the school grounds. Science exploration with owl pellets and planting and nurturing seeds in the school’s greenhouse is a common experience for students in most grade levels, and allowing parents to see their children in action is a treat. The school garden is a hub of activity, too, as students prepare the soil, measure off planting areas, plant seeds, weed, and harvest the produce that they help to plant.

Ultimately, students are able to eat the foods that they have grown: homemade salsa, butternut squash macaroni and cheese, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, beets, potatoes, and much more. When parents are able to view these and other activities on Facebook, Seesaw, or Dojo, their connections to the school are improved and their appreciation grows.

Like other school divisions around the country, our school division has been the recipient of negative feedback and backlash from the community.

An inability to be on the same page related to various issues has created unrest, frustrations, and unpleasant feedback. Not feeding into this unpleasant, non-­productive dialogue is the best course of action. Ensuring that our communication with parents is positive both in writing and in person is a top priority for us. At our beginning and end-­of-­year picnics, Title 1 movie nights, or other school functions, the staff and I engage in conversations with parents that matter: ones pertaining to the social, emotional, and academic progress of their children.

The Results of Communication For the past five years, our intentional efforts to keep parents and the community informed have most definitely paid off. Our school garden has flourished with the help of our dedicated parents who wish to be a part of the work that we do. From weeding to harvesting vegetables to mulching, our school garden is thriving.

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Based on our end-­of-­year school surveys, our parents and guardians report their appreciation for how the school informs them of upcoming events and activities. They also share that they value the teachers’ daily comments and updates about their children from the Seesaw and Dojo apps. When parents come into school for field trips, picnics, volunteering, or lunch, they express contentment and gratitude for the open lines of communication with all staff members. Face-­to-­f ace conversations are gentle, fluid, and calm, as parents who come to discuss concerns or frustrations are welcomed with open arms. In situations where some parents might be highly escalated due to a particular circumstance, they are given the opportunity to share their concerns in a safe and welcoming environment.

Communication with parents and guardians is inevitable. How our school chooses to do it is in alignment with our restorative practices guidelines where all persons are loved, valued, and treated with dignity and respect. Ultimately, the students are the beneficiaries of healthy, productive, and calm adult exchanges that are modeled for them.

As a public school educator with a love for God, I focus on servant leadership and sharing God’s love for all persons. The dignity and human rights for all persons, no matter who they are or where they live or work, is paramount to me. Through my actions and words, I strive to make sure the light of the Lord is shown to everyone that I come into contact with. Although I am not allowed to quote Scripture, pray, or share Bible stories, God’s light shines through me in my words, mannerisms, calm responses, and loving kindness to all people.

Work Cited Merriam-­Webster. “Communication.” Merriam-­Webster.com. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Dr. Tammy T. May is the principal of Lacey Spring Elementary School in Rockingham County, Virginia. As a determined school leader in a public school, she is focused on servant leadership and showing God’s love through her actions and words.

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Ultimately, the students are the beneficiaries of healthy, productive, and calm adult exchanges that are modeled for them.

Are Teachers Parents or Pedagogues?

ADAM LANCASTER

T

Many Christian leaders believe discipleship is the sanctified system toward all growth and development, but shouldn’t school teaching be an exception?

Discipleship, or spiritual parenting, is somewhat routine, and it can be restrictive. It demands, “Do as I do without questioning.” I doubt this is what education experts or school principals have

eachers have it tough. Most are encouraged to maintain relationships with hundreds of students each year. We are taught by experts and told by our principals to connect with kids personally, but authorities rarely explain what they mean—that is, what kind of relationships they expect.

Given that many students get little guidance at home, and teachers typically have love to give, most of us have assumed a parenting relationship. The resulting burnout may be why more teachers today have left the profession than ever before. Are we our students’ parents, or are we their pedagogues?

In this article, I’ll consider how teachers are unlike parents, but how teachers can partner with parents. First I’ll address a common Christian conviction that only confuses our question: that teaching is discipling.

Many Christian leaders believe discipleship is the sanctified system toward all growth and development, but shouldn’t school teaching be an exception? Discipleship is spiritual parenting. Parents, for example, want their children to watch their lives and imitate their ways. School teachers, on the other hand, want their students to make choices.

Following rabbinical tradition, Jesus sought out students to leave their lives and watch his. Initially, that’s all his followers did—before they were sent out, they were simply “with him” (Mark 3:14). Later, Paul, always accommodating to other cultures, would move away from rabbinical discipleship to a parenting model that would better connect with Gentile audiences.

In fact, after Acts, the word “disciple” all but disappears from Scripture.

Instead, Paul “fathers” his churches, writing, “Though you have countless guides [paidagōgous] in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 4:15–16 ESV). To Jesus’s “watch my life,” Paul adds, “imitate my ways.” Discipleship, or spiritual parenting, is somewhat routine, and it can be restrictive. It demands, “Do as I do without questioning.” I doubt this is what education experts or school principals have in mind.

In the school teaching context, it may actually be Paul’s “countless guides” who best represent the appropriate relationship between teachers and students. School teachers are more paidagōgous (pedagogues) than parents. In ancient Greece, these “guardians” or “custodians” were hired to accompany children to and from school, to superintend their education.

They pointed the way, as it were, toward wisdom.

in mind.

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Pedagogues Present Choices and Warn of Consequences School teachers aren’t parents; they’re pedagogues. Both impart wisdom, but they do it in different ways. The current confusion is understandable, as early on in this country, before industrialization, much of life was lived at home. Lessons were learned from fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers. School only finished what the family started. Teachers mainly taught academics. Today, however, teachers are more often outsourced as substitute parents, made responsible, not only for reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also for social and emotional learning.

The complexity of contemporary life has relocated living away from the home and into other social institutions. Family, for the most part, no longer functions as the educator of children and adolescents; schools now prepare students for life.

Students today are stuck. Many are paralyzed because they won’t choose. They are being told by the world that truth is relative, that all is acceptable. It doesn’t take them long to realize that where life is random and without rules it becomes impossible to choose one action over another.

Choices, they rightly conclude, are ultimately meaningless. Students believe themselves to be free, but they are really only free in the sense that they could choose anything, and they’ve realized that to be able to do anything is to be able to do nothing. In a relative world of randomness, nothing really matters.

Teachers get students going. Students are presented with choices— from math problems to making friends on the playground. Those students evaluate their decisions and learn from them. Adults, learning from their past experiences, make children and adolescents aware of consequences that they can’t see. Teachers aren’t really parents, of course; they can’t (or shouldn’t) tell students what to choose, only that they must choose. Teachers preach consequences gained from wisdom. Teaching is essentially sharing important information, motivating students to move on it, and warning against serious missteps.

Sadly, some students are unaware of alternatives; others don’t have the conviction to choose good for bad, beauty over ugliness, meaning instead of nothing. Few understand the consequences of their choices—of their not choosing. Teachers can help.

Today, teachers are more often outsourced as substitute parents, made responsible, not only for reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also for social and emotional learning.

Teachers aren’t really parents, of course; they can’t (or shouldn’t) tell students what to choose, only that they must choose.

Partnering Is Matching Parents’ Participation Teachers should not do more for students than parents are willing to do for their children. Partnering is matching parents’ participation. If not controversial, this is difficult for teachers—to resist taking responsibilities away from struggling parents.

This often comes down to determining a Christian approach to assisting disadvantaged people from underserved populations. How do teachers love their neighbors without taking over? The things to consider are whether we “help” or “control” the situation and whether to get “angry” or be “sad” about it. “Helping” is getting people going in the right direction, but leaving them to decide what they’ll do next. “Controlling” is putting them on a path and keeping them on it.. Help is provided by individuals and smaller institutions Christian Educators Journal

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How do teachers love their neighbors without taking over?

Teachers that mimic parents in their relationships with students have undermined parent responsibilities and put an unbearable amount of pressure on themselves.

like the church. Control is often instituted by school boards or state and federal governments.

Scripture doesn’t debate politics or rail against social structures but instead addresses human hearts. God is concerned with individual responses to his call of salvation. Christians should want to help parents be responsible. We don’t want to rob them of their opportunity to respond to God. We want to be helpful but not get in God’s way; someone’s circumstance just may be a saving opportunity.

Loving neighbors is to be helping and not controlling, but it must be done with the right attitude. Some Christians help but are mean about it; they assume the worst in parents. Other Christians are self-­righteous; they get angry when people don’t parent the way they think they should.

This is most unloving. We should instead be “sad”; we should “mourn with those who mourn” (Rom. 12:15). The pain and suffering many families feel is heartbreaking, and that there may be little we can actually do about it is frustrating. Getting heated, however, doesn’t help; it only cools needed compassion. Anger is always counterproductive. Sorrow, on the other hand, gets to the heart of it. When we’re sad, we reflect, and our reflections often turn into actions.

The thing about controlling over helping is that it doesn’t really work; people will always resist being controlled in the end. Teachers can only help.

Christian education leaders are confusing teachers by comparing teaching to discipleship. Teachers that mimic parents in their relationships with students have undermined parent responsibilities and put an unbearable amount of pressure on themselves. Teachers aren’t parents; they’re pedagogues. They “take kids to school”; they point the way to wisdom. Teachers present choices and warn of consequences. It’s the only way to get students unstuck.

Adam Lancaster (DEdMin) is a professional artist and art educator from Dallas, TX. When not in the studio or in the classroom, he’s in the community advocating art through the Visual Art League of Lewisville, the Visual Art Society of Texas, and the Portrait Society of America. Lancaster also enjoys writing at the intersection of art, culture, religion, and education; his most recent article, “Macmurray on Art and Artificial Intelligence,” has appeared in John Macmurray Philosophical Fellowship Newsletter. To connect with Lancaster, or to read blog posts or view his art, visit www.adamlancasterart.com.

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