With children, young people and families returning after breaks, staff changes, new children commencing and others transitioning to different rooms, services or to school, this is a busy time for educators.
Connecting with families is essential for educators. When educators and families develop a connection, they can form collaborative partnerships. These partnerships can help educators gain a better understanding of the most effective ways to support children and young people’s social and emotional wellbeing, especially during transition times.
For Early Learning Services, both the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard emphasises partnerships too.
For schools, family partnerships are emphasised in both the Australian Institute of Teaching and Schools Leadership (AITSL) National teaching standards and the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework.
Strong partnerships benefit children and young people
Children and young people observing warm relationships with mutual trust and understanding between their family and educators will feel secure, accepted and confident, with their sense of identity strengthened.
When families and educators work together respectfully it often leads to families developing an increased appreciation of the significance and value of education, and may enable parents to address any concerns they have about their child or young person’s transitions, learning and development more quickly.
It takes time to build partnerships
All families are unique with their own expectations, so engagement will vary. Working sensitively and accepting other’s points of view and differences allows connections to develop. It’s not always easy but it’s worth the effort.
Reflect on how welcoming your service or school is. Review your environment in terms of inclusion and respect. Reflect on your communication with families – think about how you share information about the curriculum, children’s learning and information supporting parenting and family wellbeing.
Examining factors that might get in the way of engaging families is important too, as they may become barriers. We need to explore who are the families we are not engaging and why not?
Maintaining positive partnerships
Maintaining empathy, de-personalising conflict or disagreement, communicating and reflecting on what’s happening are all strategies that can be used to assist in maintaining partnerships when things get difficult.
Your role, as an educator can be very demanding in a partnership, so it’s important to understand the boundaries. Educators do not always have the knowledge, expertise or availability to address some concerns families may raise. Knowing how to access appropriate information about providing support in your local community is always useful.
Maintain your own wellbeing
While you may not have control over your entire work environment as an educator, individually you can take steps to protect and enhance your wellbeing and manage stress with Be You Wellbeing Tools for You.
Remember to be kind to yourself and others. Things can feel very demanding.
For more information on connecting, see the Be You Family Partnerships Professional Learning domain.
Connecting with families is essential for educators. When educators and families develop a connection, they can form collaborative partnerships. These partnerships can help educators gain a better understanding of the most effective ways to support children and young people’s social and emotional wellbeing, especially during transition times.
For Early Learning Services, both the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard emphasises partnerships too.
For schools, family partnerships are emphasised in both the Australian Institute of Teaching and Schools Leadership (AITSL) National teaching standards and the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework.
Strong partnerships benefit children and young people
Children and young people observing warm relationships with mutual trust and understanding between their family and educators will feel secure, accepted and confident, with their sense of identity strengthened.
When families and educators work together respectfully it often leads to families developing an increased appreciation of the significance and value of education, and may enable parents to address any concerns they have about their child or young person’s transitions, learning and development more quickly.
It takes time to build partnerships
All families are unique with their own expectations, so engagement will vary. Working sensitively and accepting other’s points of view and differences allows connections to develop. It’s not always easy but it’s worth the effort.
Reflect on how welcoming your service or school is. Review your environment in terms of inclusion and respect. Reflect on your communication with families – think about how you share information about the curriculum, children’s learning and information supporting parenting and family wellbeing.
Examining factors that might get in the way of engaging families is important too, as they may become barriers. We need to explore who are the families we are not engaging and why not?
Maintaining positive partnerships
Maintaining empathy, de-personalising conflict or disagreement, communicating and reflecting on what’s happening are all strategies that can be used to assist in maintaining partnerships when things get difficult.
Your role, as an educator can be very demanding in a partnership, so it’s important to understand the boundaries. Educators do not always have the knowledge, expertise or availability to address some concerns families may raise. Knowing how to access appropriate information about providing support in your local community is always useful.
Maintain your own wellbeing
While you may not have control over your entire work environment as an educator, individually you can take steps to protect and enhance your wellbeing and manage stress with Be You Wellbeing Tools for You.
Remember to be kind to yourself and others. Things can feel very demanding.
For more information on connecting, see the Be You Family Partnerships Professional Learning domain.