The Parent-Teacher Dream Team

I believe that with the support of good virtual parent-teacher (Activator) collaboration, we help our students develop to their full potential and overcome some challenges. Students and parents reported that some challenges, such as anxiety and social connectivity, were something of the past and better relationships were formed than expected due to the teacher-student-parent relationship through our mastery system and one on one online meetings with students and/or parents. 

After building online relationships with parents for more than a year, I have noted the following advantages of positive partnerships between parents and Activators:

• Children enjoy learning more, and through this partnership, education captures the students' attention through interactive content.
• A mutual understanding of challenges and therefore, additional support can be offered in various aspects of online learning.
• Parents have better insight into their children's learning and can support students with independent tasks.
• An open dialogue between parents and activator ensures that issues are resolved in a productive and comfortable manner.

I have also noted that having an 'open-door' email policy breaks down communication barriers. This ensures that students' parents know that they can come to you with any question or concerns they might have about their child's learning.

I, therefore, believe that parent-activator collaboration is vital in developing online communities of learning. Research shows that online communities help instil a sense of belonging and camaraderie, which keeps students engaged and motivates them to persevere.

I would also like to share the following tips with parents:

• Maintain contact with your child's teacher.
• Make sure applications recommended by your child's activator are on their iPad or laptop. Stay in the loop with updates and provide feedback to the teacher on how learning is going at home.
• Create a learning plan with your child to stay in the loop and help them prepare for upcoming work.
• Ask your child how their learning is going and discuss their Gradebook on a weekly basis. 
• Keep the week exciting and celebrate their wins, both large and small. Share these moments with your child's teacher. 
• Help your child connect with other students in class and find room for opportunities to join parent support groups. This will allow you to engage other parents who are homeschooling or have joined an online school.

Evolve Online School facilitates strong parent-teacher (activator) relationships through clear communication channels.