Collaborating with Parents

Respecting Cultural Diversity

This video supports the concept of accessing traditional FNMI cultural knowledge and parenting practices to strengthen self-esteem, trust and mutual understanding for positive learning supports.

Learning Guide: Respecting Cultural Diversity

Length: 10 minutes 7 seconds

Building Relationships and Trust

Building positive relationships and developing trust are critical tasks for both parents and teachers. The focus of this video is to demonstrate the many ways that teachers and parents can communicate, both in person and via technology-mediated means, to support teaching and learning. In this video we see a parent and teacher of a middle school child collaborating throughout the school year to find ways to ensure the student can demonstrate what he knows, has learned and can do. They are building trust and developing their relationship as they work together toward the common goal of student success.

Tipsheet: Building Relationships and Trust

Learning Guide: Building Relationships and Trust

Length: 6 minutes 39 seconds

Active Listening

Active listening is a skill that teachers use to help establish meaningful relationships with parents. Strong collaborative relationships are important so that teachers and parents can work effectively together to ensure students are supported and successful learners. In this video, several different interactions between parents, teachers, administrators and educational assistants are portrayed to demonstrate formal and informal opportunities for active listening that support building relationships.

Tipsheet: Supporting Collaboration Through Active Listening

Learning Guide: Supporting Collaboration Through Active Listening

Length: 6 minutes 15 seconds

Resolving Differences Through Collaboration

Inclusive schools recognize the importance of welcoming and embracing the involvement of parents in their children's education. Conflict is inevitable and can actually be beneficial. It can lead to brainstorming creative strategies and a better understanding of individuals and their strengths. This video portrays a scenario where parents and school staff are able to communicate about a challenging issue faced by a student, and collaborate to come up with a mutually beneficial solution.

Tipsheet: Resolving Differences through Collaboration

Learning Guide: Resolving Differences through Collaboration

Length: 7 minutes 4 seconds

Collaborating for Smooth Transitions

Transitions are life-long, from one grade to another, from one stage of life to another. In this video, a high school student and his family are transitioning to a new life in Alberta from another province and settling into a new school community. The video shows how this transition can be made smoother and easier by preparing ahead, and making both the student and his parents welcome in the learning community.

Tipsheet: Collaborating for Smooth Transitions

Learning Guide: Collaborating for Smooth Transitions

Length: 4 minutes 15 seconds

Solution-focused Collaboration

Solution-focused collaboration between parents and teachers focuses on building solutions together from a strength-based approach, rather than merely 'solving problems'. In this video we see several examples of using a strength-based approach, in which parents and teacher have collaborated to focus on the child's strengths in support of his learning.

Tipsheet: Solution-focused Collaboration

Learning Guide: Solution-focused Collaboration

Length: 4 minutes 47 seconds

Parents are Powerful Partners

Inclusive schools welcome and embrace positive, collaborative relationships between school staff and parents in support of providing the best learning environment for a diverse population of children. In this video you will see examples of inclusive school settings that model approaches that reflect understanding, support and collaboration with all parents, including parents of children with disabilities.

Tipsheet: Positive Parental Partnerships
Tipsheet: Strengthening Collaboration Between Schools and Families

Learning Guide: Understanding, Supporting and Collaborating with Parents

Length: 5 minutes 45 seconds

Building Relationships

Inclusive schools welcome and embrace positive, collaborative relationships between school staff and parents in support of providing the best learning environment for a diverse population of children. In this video you will see examples of inclusive school settings that model approaches that reflect understanding, support and collaboration with all parents, including parents of children with disabilities.

Tipsheet: Positive Parental Partnerships
Tipsheet: Strengthening Collaboration Between Schools and Families

Learning Guide: Understanding, Supporting and Collaborating with Parents

Length: 5 minutes 49 seconds

Family Centered Collaboration

Inclusive schools welcome and embrace positive, collaborative relationships between school staff and parents in support of providing the best learning environment for a diverse population of children. In this video you will see examples of inclusive school settings that model approaches that reflect understanding, support and collaboration with all parents, including parents of children with disabilities.

Tipsheet: Positive Parental Partnerships
Tipsheet: Strengthening Collaboration Between Schools and Families

Learning Guide: Understanding, Supporting and Collaborating with Parents

Length: 4 minutes 47 seconds