The adjustment process of new children and their parents can be challenging for them and the teacher. An educator can implement many educational and communicational techniques to ease the process and support the children and parents. I believe that maintaining constant communication with parents through conferences or phone calls, with the consideration of their time and privacy, is one of the most important elements. Encouraging home learning activities and welcoming parents into the classroom is also crucial.
Most parents would like to be involved in or informed about their children’s adjustment in a new classroom. Gaining parents’ trust by properly communicating with them and engaging them in collaborative problem-solving and planning would ease their and their children’s adjustment process (Kuhn et al., 2017). Being mindful of their time and privacy is crucial in establishing a healthy parent-educator relationship. According to Lin et al. (2019), home learning activities can help children overcome their school involvement issues. Informing parents about the importance of home-based activities would encourage them to participate, resulting in parental support and involvement in the adjustment process of the children. For parents and children with separation anxiety, an educator can invite the parents into the classroom. However, it is vital to communicate the expectations and roles to the parents beforehand to avoid misunderstandings (Zurcher, 2016). Overall, it would calm the children and reassure the parents of their children’s safety during the adjustment process.
The adjustment process of children and parents to a new classroom and teacher is challenging; however, there are ways to make it easier for all the parties. I think that being respectful and maintaining educator-parent communication is the most important factor in adapting to a new schooling environment. Inviting the parents to the classroom can help with the separation anxiety in both children and their parents. Additionally, encouraging home learning activities would solve the involvement issue of the children.