Teaching Overseas: How to Deal with Parents
One of the scariest parts of teaching overseas is the necessity of talking to parents about their children. These parents may have different values from what you were brought up with. Some might be hypersensitive. Miscommunication in academic settings is easy even when everyone speaks the same language.
Still, it is one of the most important (and rewarding) parts of the job. Sharing the growth and accomplishments of your students will inspire you to be a great teacher. It will also help you keep perspective even when things are difficult. To help you communicate with parents, we’ve prepared a few tips to get you ready for those ever stressful PTMs.
Be in sync with the school
Perhaps the most important tip for parent communication is to be on the same page as the administration. Remember, if there is an issue with a family the school has probably seen it before. The school likely has a policy in place to deal with the issue. Stick to their plan. The worst thing a school and teacher can do is show inconsistency.
Say a student has serious discipline problems. The school should have a set way of handling it. One student chronically fails quizzes? Again, the administration should be able to advise you not only how to deal with the student, but also how to communicate with parents. Avoid trying to solve problems without the school’s knowledge. If your school makes you feel like this is necessary or they don’t have set policies, maybe it isn’t the best place to be teaching overseas.
Do your research
Does your school have an Open House? Parent-teacher meetings? Are you friends with the teacher in the grade below yours? All of these are ways of getting to know student families. It can make a class much more smooth to realize one parent is very shy early on, thus allowing you to break the ice. Perhaps you have a student who exaggerates at home and mom complains every time. Knowing a parent has this tendency by talking to other teachers can save you a lot of stress. While teaching overseas your job is your kids. That means managing them AND their parents to some degree. The best way to do so is communication and knowing what you are dealing with.
Be sociable & break the ice
During your tenure teaching overseas, you will quickly learn that some locals can be intimidated by talking with you. You come from a different culture. Teachers are something of an authority figure. Language barriers are a real concern. Be sensitive to those parents who can’t socialize very well by gently being the one to take the initiative. These parents, even if they don’t say much, will appreciate you that much more.
But perhaps you also are on the shy side. If you are interested in changing that, you are in the right field. Just by putting yourself through the interview process you will learn. Furthermore, being in front of a room full of people or working with teachers from all over the world will push you to have better social skills. And if all that isn’t enough, try reading a book to improve your abilities. Remember, teaching overseas is a communication intensive job. The better you are at it the easier it will be.
Put yourself in their shoes
As teachers sometimes we forget that we tend to only see things from the teacher’s perspective. We forget that each individual student is the most important person in someone’s life. While you care for all your kids, you see that they can act in similar ways and have similar problems. Parents don’t see that. A student falls and scrapes her knee? For you it’s a quick bandage and a hug, but for mom it may be a serious cause for concern. Perhaps parents feel like teachers are not paying enough attention. Perhaps teachers are letting classes run too wild. Perhaps this whole English school thing wasn’t a great idea. As silly as this sounds, some parents will think this way. Parenting is perhaps the only job more daunting and difficult than teaching. When you’re teaching overseas to children, it is your job to appreciate that and make sure parents feel listened to and understood, not just like another problem on another day.
Know your stuff while teaching overseas
The safest and best way to ensure good relationships with parents is to be really good at your job. Learn new techniques. Be flexible with different students and situations. Before teaching overseas, brush up your skills and knowledge with a professional TEFL certificate. Whatever level you teach or school you are at, being the best teacher you can be will give you confidence in yourself. This will inspire confidence in parents. When they feel good about you and your abilities parents are much more likely to trust and respect you. With trust and respect established on both sides, a strong and positive relationship is sure to grow. Your classes will be that much better and your life that much easier.
What tips and ideas do you have for communicating with parents while teaching overseas? Share your thoughts below.