A strong home-school connection is critical to student success. As a new teacher, your first order of business is to break the ice with your students’ families. When teachers and families are able to work together, research shows a positive impact, says Christine Haralambou, a UFT Teacher Center coach at PS 72 in Manhattan. “We see increased attendance, better social-emotional development and better academic achievement,” she says. Here are some Teacher Center tips and strategies to establish a solid relationship between home and school.

Keep an open line of communication.

Write a class letter to introduce yourself to families at the beginning of the year, and let families know how they can reach you, says Teresa Devore, a Teacher Center coach at John Dewey HS in Brooklyn. You can send it via email or ClassDojo. Devore’s school uses the TalkingPoints app, which allows a teacher to send a message in English but translates it into the recipient’s chosen language. 

Haralambou suggests sending a survey early in the year that asks families what their home language is so you can translate communications and arrange for interpretation through the Department of Education. The survey is also an opportunity for families to tell you a bit about their kids, including “their interests and their challenges,” says Haralambou. 

Get to know your students. 

Lauren Santiago, a Teacher Center coach at PS 81 in Ridgewood, Queens, suggests a writing activity early in the year that she calls “what’s in our hearts.” Students fill in a graphic organizer of a heart with everything they love, from their pets to their families to their favorite neighborhood places. Teachers can learn a lot about their students with this exercise, says Santiago. “Some of them have traveled, on foot, from other countries. Sometimes they will write about their country or draw a picture of their country if they’re still learning English.” The more you know about your students and their families, the more empathetic and responsive you can be to their needs. 

In the lower grades, Santiago asks students to place four items that are important to them in an “all about me” bag, which they share with the class. “Often, they'll bring family photos and discuss their home life, which really helps us get to know them well,” Santiago says. She also spends a few minutes at breakfast every day chatting with her students and letting them guide the conversation. 

Maintain connection throughout the year. 

Maria Elena Guzman, a Teacher Center field liaison in the Bronx, sends positive communications home with a student that alert the family to their successes, no matter how small. “It’s nice to receive a note from the teacher saying ‘Your child did really well in school today,’” Guzman says. “It builds self-esteem in the child and tells parents that we’re all working toward the same goal.” 

Devore suggests assembling a monthly digital slidedeck that showcases students' work in the classroom and emailing it to families. “This is particularly great for families and caregivers to see what is happening in the classroom,” she says. 

The first months of the school year can be a blur of lesson planning, administrative work and classroom management. But save time and energy for getting to know your students, their families, and their cultural identities, says Guzman. “Welcome the whole child.”