Questions

Talking to parents can be challenging for educators. Over the years, I developed a practice to create open lines of communication with parents. I start with a question when I speak with parents in a one-on-one conference or when checking in.

Why can it be so hard for an educator to talk to parents?

A Mind/Shift article by Katrina Schwartz says, "from a child's perspective, school, extracurricular activities, and home are part of the continuous experience of life." The article says, "from the perspective of teachers, coaches and parents, those experiences may seem more differentiated and are thus treated separately."

I started the practice of asking questions to help parents relax, be open, honest, and comfortable. As it turned out, asking questions opened doors into the world of children, inside and outside the hours in our program.

The conversations that followed my questions were forthcoming, helped parents and educators collaborate, and assisted in the children's growth. Questions provided a platform for parents and educators to get to know each other and develop deeper connections.

Often parents are approached with specific problems that need to be solved. Questions build a bridge because they are not about the immediate; instead, questions build trust and help people work together to create a better experience for everyone. A question sees education as holistic, collaborative, and community-based and recognizes development as an ongoing process, not a destination.

Questions ask how we can be of service and assist in the challenging job of parenting. Many structures in the school environment and the world are about the needs of adults. The Mind/Shift article says, "too often, structures and practices are at odds with the developmental states of the children they are meant to serve. Schools and parents are often more oriented towards the needs of the adult than towards what works for kids."

Questions are about the needs of children, caring, and how educators can help children get to where they want to go. Questions help parents when children struggle as they master new life skills. Questions help families grow and feel welcome in our school community. A question helps nurture the greater good, so it can ripple through our community and help us all.