The Parent Connection for New Teachers: How to Communicate Effectively Early On

For new teachers, communicating with parents can feel intimidating. You want to build trust, keep families informed, and handle challenges with care—all while balancing lesson planning, grading, and classroom management. The good news? With a few thoughtful strategies, you can make parent communication one of your strongest tools for student success.

Keep the Whole Class in the Loop

When you need to share general updates—like curriculum highlights, reminders about upcoming events, or celebrations of student achievements—address the entire class community.

• Weekly newsletters or classroom updates keep parents informed without overwhelming them.
  
• Positive class highlights (e.g., “This week we learned about…” or “Our students showed amazing teamwork in…”) build a sense of partnership and pride.
  

This helps families feel connected to the classroom while cutting down on repetitive individual messages.

Save Sensitive Conversations for a Phone Call

If there’s something specific about a student—whether it’s an academic concern, a behavioral challenge, or a personal matter—don’t put it in an email. Emails can easily be misinterpreted, feel impersonal, or create unnecessary tension.

Instead:

• Reach out to set up a phone call.
• Approach the conversation with empathy and a problem-solving mindset.
• Keep the tone collaborative: you and the parent are a team working toward the child’s success.
  

To make these conversations easier, we’ve created a Parent Phone Call Template and script you can use to guide your talking points and keep the discussion positive and productive. Purchase the template here.

IMPORTANT: This rule of thumb works both ways. If a parent sends you an email related to their children personally, resist answering via email. Make sure to write something like “Thank you for your email. I'd love to set a time to speak to you about this in person.”

Lead With the Positive

Whether you’re sharing with the whole class or one family, always try to start with what’s going well. Parents want to know their children are seen for their strengths as much as their struggles.

• Begin with a compliment or a success.
• Share areas for growth.
• End with encouragement and a clear plan forward.
  

This builds trust and makes difficult conversations more constructive.

Be Clear and Consistent

Parents appreciate knowing when and how they can expect communication from you. Setting boundaries and routines helps you avoid burnout and builds confidence.

• Decide on a consistent day for class-wide updates.
• Share your preferred way of contact (e.g., email for general questions, phone for more personal matters).
• Stick to your plan whenever possible.
  

 Remember: Parents Are Partners

It’s easy to feel nervous about communicating with parents, but most families want the same thing you do—their child’s success and happiness at school. Approaching conversations with openness, empathy, and consistency sets a strong foundation for partnership.

Final Thought

Parent communication doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Share general updates with the whole class, save personal conversations for a phone call, and always lead with positivity. With clear boundaries and a supportive tone, you’ll strengthen the parent-teacher relationship and make your classroom a place where students can truly thrive.

Want a head start? Use our Parent Phone Call Template to guide your conversations and take the stress out of those first calls home. Get it here.