Educational Leadership

My Door?

I can’t think of an easier way to begin
building mutual respect than to give the
parents a home court advantage.

supportive, yet extremely busy parent—
wanted a fresh start for her children. She
expressed reluctance the first few times I
tried to set up a home visit. But as I built
a relationship with Gabby, she began to
pester her mom into letting me come.
Gabby heard about my visits with other
classmates and saw the books and school
supplies I’d brought them. Finally,
Ms. Ross allowed Davon’s teacher and
me to come one day after school.

Tips for Home Visits

n Never go alone. Invite the teacher of your student’s siblings, an administrator, or staff member to accompany you. If a translator will be needed, invite someone who speaks the parent’s language.

n Ask your principal for training (and perhaps compensation). Our district gets training for visits through the Parent Teacher Home Visit Project ( www.pthvp.org).

n Bring a gift. A baggie of school supplies, a book, or a seasonal gift not only shows your appreciation, but also is a great, positive ice breaker.

n Take copious notes right after each visit. After a few visits, conversations with different families might blur. I keep a parent communications binder in which I write down notes from every home visit and other parent communications throughout the year. Before conferences, I go through my notes to build on those conversations.

n Don’t worry about timing. It’s ideal to get many home visits in at the beginning of the year, but fall is often busy. Send out a general request to visit families in their homes, listing times that work for your schedule. Then make phone calls to arrange visits early on with those parents with whom you anticipate needing a strong relationship. I’ve even done a home visit in May, taking a teacher from the next grade level along.

n Don’t worry about location. If parents are—like my mother—too embarrassed to have you in their living room, visit on the front porch, the lawn, even at a local restaurant or park. The point is to visit parents in a place where they’re comfortable—and get yourself off campus.