This document outlines a presentation on forging better school-parent partnerships using an emotional intelligence approach. The agenda includes a survey on parental involvement, discussing child development and emotional intelligence, setting clear expectations, and strategies at the institute, leader, teacher, and individual levels. The presentation advocates using an emotional intelligence framework of self-awareness, awareness of others, self-management, and better relationships to strengthen school-parent ties. Specific strategies proposed are developing school policies on parent engagement, appointing parent points of contact, training for teachers and parents, and creating individualized engagement plans.

2. Forging a better school-parent partnership
-using an Emotional Intelligence approach
Dr. Kunal Kala • • Dr. Pulkit Khanna
MRCPsych (London) PhD Psychology (IIT)

3. What is wrong with parents today?
Dr. Kunal Kala • • Dr. Pulkit Khanna
MRCPsych (London) PhD Psychology (IIT)

4. Agenda
1. Survey on Parental Involvement
2. Child development and Emotional Intelligence (EI)
3. Using an EI framework – Self Awareness, Awareness of Others, Self
Management, Better Relationships
4. Setting clear expectations
5. Institute level solutions
6. School leaders
7. Teacher level initiatives
8. Individualized development plan
9. Discussion & Questions

5. Survey on Parental Involvement
Identifying various concerns (What & how much ?)
• Lack of attendance at PTM
• Unrealistic expectations from children
• Unrealistic expectations from teachers
• Expecting teachers to handle parenting issues
• Displaying irritable/aggressive behaviours
• Any other concerns

6. Child development
Home
Environment
School
Environment
Community
Influences
Child Development

7. So what seems to be happening ?
• Less self-awareness
• Less self-regulation
• Decline in empathy
• Weaker relationships
• Social & emotional learning (SEL) offers a solution to
these issues
• Trainable & modifiable
• Abundant research evidence showing benefits of SEL

8. Understanding SEL

9. Understanding SEL

10. Understanding SEL

11. Understanding SEL

12. Understanding SEL
The 5 Core Competencies
Source: 2013 CASEL Guide – Effective Social & Emotional Learning Programs

13. Now that we know the ‘problem’ , & we understand SEL …
…Let’s take a relook through an EI lens
Self Awareness (Self = school)
• What (all) do we do to engage parents?
• What works?
• What doesn’t?
• How do parents perceive us ?
• What do parents say about us?
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14. Empathy & Awareness of others (Others = parents)
For a moment, step into parents’ shoes
• What is life like for a parent today?
• What type of challenges do parents face today?
• How does school ‘occur’ to parents?
( a building/ principal/ teacher/ rules/ PTA/ rigid/judgemental )
• Trying to understand parents’ competence in parenting skills
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15. After Self awareness and Awareness of others
• Shared goal - What is the one thing that is equally important to both
parents and the school?
• Parent behavior is a function of
the parent’s personal circumstances
how ‘school’ occurs to them
Parent awareness and parenting skill or competence
Amount of time parents spend with children – quantity vs quality
• Every parent experiences a unique attachment to school
• Schools are powerful
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16. So what can be done to strengthen the school parent relationship ?
We need INITIATIVE,
STRATEGIES
& MONITORING & EVALUATION
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17. 17
Setting Clear Expectations

18. Setting Clear Expectations
• What do parents need to do to help the school ?
( e.g. attend PTA meetings, provide a nurturing, caring, violence free home
environment)
• What do parents expect from the school?
• What are the desired outcomes you’re working towards?
• How do you plan to assess these outcomes?
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19. Making the right moves…
… for desired outcomes
Institute Level Policies
Leader Level Steps
Teacher Level Steps
Community Level Initiatives
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20. Strategies – School Policies
• School – parent bond
• Parents’ point of contact at schools
• Parent engagement policy
• Parent education and training
• Looking at long-term initiatives – instead of sporadic
strategies
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21. Strategies
Leader Level Steps
• Adopting a more pre-emptive and perceptive
approach instead of fire-fighting
• Parent surveys
• Identifying training requirements
• Appointing a point of contact for parents
• Transparent parent –school relationship
• Engaging teachers
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22. Teacher Level Steps
• Teacher development
• Training for groups of parents and teachers together
• Bridging the distance between parents and school
• Understanding parental circumstances and context
• Frequency of teacher-parent contact
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23. Community Initiatives
• Platforms for reciprocal engagement between school & parents
• Appointing peer leaders among parent community
• Truly engaging parents as partners in the educational process
• Creation of active + meaningful parent forum
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24. Individualized School-Parent Engagement Strategy
• ‘One size fits all’ won’t work
• Evaluating steps according to your
context
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25. Questions ?
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Thank you