Special Education for Beginners | Managing Paraprofessionals, Special Education Strategies, First Year Sped Teachers, Special Ed Overwhelm, Paperwork for Special Education Teachers

Practical Tips to Boost Parent Collaboration

• Jennifer Hofferber - Special Education Teacher and Coach • Episode 181

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Today we're talking about a crucial element that can really make or break the success of our students—supporting their parents. These parents are juggling so much—all while trying to figure out how to best support their child at home. 

In this episode, I’ll be sharing practical tips on how to foster better relationships with your parents. Plus, I’ll introduce a powerful resource I’ve created to streamline the whole process for you: the Parent Handbook for Special Education.

Highlights from the episode:

  • Clear and Consistent Communication: Regular check-ins can help parents feel more included and share valuable insights with you that impact your daily teaching.
  • Empowering Parents: Simple ways to explain the special education process, accommodations, and strategies to help parents feel confident and informed.
  • Cultural Responsiveness: Being inclusive and culturally aware when communicating with families
  • Parent Input Matters: Give parents ample time and space to reflect on their child's needs before IEP meetings, and how the Parent Handbook for Special Education provides them with a structured way to share valuable insights about their child’s strengths, interests, and goals.

Conclusion: By following these tips—establishing regular communication, empowering parents with information, being culturally responsive, and creating real opportunities for their input—you’ll build stronger partnerships with the families you work with, ultimately creating the best environment for your students to succeed.

Links from the episode:

Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability  and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you  the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.  





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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another episode of Special Education for Beginners. I am so excited you're here today, because we're going to talk about something that can really make or break the success of our students supporting their parents. Now, we all know how crucial parents are in the education process, but sometimes we forget how we, as special education teachers, can make their lives easier and their experiences better. I mean, think about it. These parents are navigating a lot. They are dealing with diagnoses, therapies, appointments, iep meetings, and often they are just trying to figure out how to best support their child at home, and that's a heavy load. So today I want to talk about how we can make things a little bit easier for them, foster better communication with them and make sure they know we are all on the same team. And, as a bonus, I'm going to share with you a tool I've created that will help streamline this whole process for you. So let's jump right in. Hey, special educator, are you overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to do list? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock solid team with your staff? Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload. Well, hey there, I'm Jennifer Hopperberg, an award-winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach, who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and, yes, I have the metaphorical blisters to prove it. I have cried your tears and felt your pain, and now I'm here to support you in the way I wish someone would have been there to support me. Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs that are thrown at you and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos, to celebrate those small yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand. So are you ready? Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape, because together we are going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy, completely overwhelming, laugh-so-you-don't-cry profession of being a special education teacher. So today I have some practical tips to boost parent collaboration.

Speaker 1:

One of the first and most important ways to support parents is by establishing clear and consistent communication. It's easy to think that the annual IEP meeting or a quarterly progress report is enough, but for a lot of parents it's not. They want to know how their child is doing on a more regular basis, even something as simple as a quick email or a phone call to check in can really go a long way. When I was in the classroom, I made it a point to touch base with my parents regularly, whether it was through a digital app like Seesaw, a text, a phone call, an email or a note in a planner, or even a daily communication log. It was consistent and it was regular, and it was based on what the parent wanted and needed. Some parents don't need regular updates and some need a lot of hand-holding, so let them tell you what they need and then follow through with that and you know what. It not only made them feel more included, but it also helped me. When you keep the communication lines open, parents are more likely to share valuable insights, like how their child is behaving at home, giving you a heads up when a bad day is anticipated, updating you on doctor's appointments or what they're struggling with outside of school those things that you might not have known otherwise. And all of this information is so valuable, not only to write a great IEP, but to use this information on a daily basis when teaching the child. So, in order to establish this communication from day one, start by asking parents how they prefer to stay in touch. By taking the time to set up these communication channels early on, you are not only building trust with parents, but you're also setting the stage for a strong collaborative relationship throughout. Another way we can support parents is by empowering them with the right tools and information.

Speaker 1:

Think about it Many parents are stepping into the world of special education for the first time. They may not fully understand the IEP process, what accommodations are available or how different strategies can support their child's learning. It's easy for them to feel overwhelmed and lost in the jargon and the sheer volume of information thrown their way. Overwhelmed and lost in the jargon and the sheer volume of information thrown their way. When I sit in those meetings, I often feel bad for the parents because we talk this talk all day long, all day, every day, and parents for the first time they're hearing so much new information that it's just it has to be so overwhelming. So our role as special education teachers isn't just to support the student, but it's to guide their parents as well. By providing clear, understandable information and resources, we can help alleviate some of that stress and uncertainty that the parents are facing.

Speaker 1:

One of the most helpful things we can do is to take the time to explain in simple terms how the special education process works. The special education process works, whether it's clarifying the purpose of the IEP, explaining how certain accommodations work or giving some examples of strategies that could help their child succeed both in and outside of the classroom. I feel like the more that we can explain what we're what we're trying to say, the better, and then, beyond explanations, offering parents tangible resources that they can refer back to is crucial. This might include articles or handouts that break down special education terms, guides on how to support their child at home, or even tips on behavior, management and organization skills. When parents are equipped with useful tools, they feel more confident in their ability to support their child's progress, and this confidence translates to stronger collaboration between parents and teachers.

Speaker 1:

And to help with this, I've created a tool that is perfect for introducing parents to the world of special education. It's called the Parent Handbook for Special Education, and it is designed to give parents a clear introduction to special ed, explain their rights, walk them through the process step by step. This tool is great for that initial meeting with parents when you want to show them that you're here to work together and not just as their child's teacher, but as their partner. You can even help them fill out the my Child's IEP form so that they have something to refer to at home. This is especially useful because many parents don't know where to start or what questions to ask. These forms provide a clear, organized way to ensure parents have all of the information they need so that they don't leave the meeting feeling so overwhelmed. I also have some awareness resources available in my TPT store that could be incredibly helpful for both parents and teachers. These resources cover specific areas like dysgraphia, echolalia, dyslexia, adhd and autism, and they are designed to hand out to parents to give them a better understanding of these conditions. Each of these resources is tailored to break down the basics, explaining common challenges and offering strategies for supporting students both at school and at home. So if you are working with a family that needs more insight into one of these areas, these resources can be a great starting point to share with them.

Speaker 1:

Another key aspect of empowering parents is showing them that their input matters, encourage parents to share their concerns, observations and goals and hopes for their child when they see that their feedback is valued and plays a role in shaping that child's education plan. It builds so much trust. This feeling of partnership reassures parents that they aren't just spectators, but they are active participants in their child's educational journey. The more we can empower parents with knowledge and involve them in the process, the more effective we will be in supporting the student's success both at school and at home. The third tip is to be culturally responsive and inclusive.

Speaker 1:

It is really important to remember that every family is different. Some families may face language barriers, others may have different views on education, or some might have different cultural norms that impact how they interact with the school system. We can't take a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to communicating with parents, for example. Providing communication in a parent's native language shows that you care about making sure they can fully participate. That's why, on that parent handbook, I included both English and Spanish versions of my forms, because I've seen firsthand how being responsive to a family's needs builds stronger connections and opens up communication.

Speaker 1:

For one family in particular, there was a language barrier, not in understanding what I was saying, but it was in communicating back to me in English. This mother was able to speak English, but she felt insecure doing so and she was nervous to do it. So I would speak directly to her and then she would use a translator to communicate back to me. We also used the Seesaw app and text messages, where we were able to type in our own language but then the person receiving it could translate it into their own language. Now her son is almost in high school, but we still she'll still send me a message every now and then, and I saw her in the grocery store the other day and it's obvious that she still, to this day, appreciates how I went above and beyond to make her feel comfortable and make her feel accepted, not just for her son, but for her as well. And when parents feel like they are truly being heard and included, they are more likely to engage and feel positive about the partnership, and that partnership is so essential to our students' success.

Speaker 1:

And the last tip I want to touch on is making sure parents have real opportunities to share their input. Sometimes parents feel like they are just being told what's going to happen in their child's education without being asked for their thoughts or feedback, but the reality is parents often have valuable insights that we as teachers may not be aware of. They know their child in ways we don't, and their input can make a big difference in how we tailor support for the student Now. It's not enough to simply make a quick phone call home and ask if they have any concerns. That approach can put parents on the spot and they may not feel prepared to share everything that they want to talk about. Instead, we need to give them ample time and space to reflect on their thoughts and concerns ahead of these important meetings.

Speaker 1:

One of the best ways to do this is by sending home a form well in advance of the meeting. This allows parents to take their time, gather their thoughts and really think about what's important to them. You can also provide prompts to help them guide their reflections instead of just asking an open-ended question. For example, ask them questions like what responsibilities does your child have at home, or are there any special interests your child has that we might not know about? These types of questions can give us, as teachers, valuable context about the student that might not be immediately obvious in the classroom setting, and so within that parent handbook for special education, there's forms that includes where parents can document their child's strengths, interests and goals, and it gives parents the space to really reflect on their child's needs so that they can come to the IEP meetings feeling prepared and empowered, and it's a tool that fosters true collaboration between parents and teachers, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for the student.

Speaker 1:

So there you have it four powerful ways to support the parents of your students establish regular communication, empower them with the right information, be culturally responsive and create real opportunities for their input.

Speaker 1:

When parents feel supported and included, they are much more likely to partner with you for their child's success, and together we can create the best possible environment for our students.

Speaker 1:

Parents feel supported and included, they are much more likely to partner with you for their child's success, and together we can create the best possible environment for our students. So, if you are ready to make parent communication easier, be more organized and more impactful, check out the show notes and grab the Parent Handbook for Special Education. Trust me, this is a tool that will take your parent relationships to the next level, and it's going to save you so much time and stress throughout the year. Take your parent relationships to the next level, and it's going to save you so much time and stress throughout the year. I'll also leave some links to those awareness resources in the show notes so you can check those out as well. Thank you so much for tuning in today. I hope you found these tips helpful. I can't wait to hear how you are using them in your classrooms. As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions or you just want to chat. Until next time, take care and keep doing the amazing work you're doing for your