John Ford, a fifth grade teacher, has written an informative article about his experiences with stepfamilies. He offers some suggestions for parents and stepparents at How One Teacher Communicates with Parents and Stepparents. Ford believes that it is critical that he have "good communications with both sets of parents and they with me." In discussing how he meets this goal, Ford talks about the first meeting of the year, when they take a look at the child's yearly calendar. He also finds out how the parent and stepparent prefer to receive information about the children's progress.
Besides helping the children, this structure also assists the teacher to learn about the home dynamics, which gives better understanding of the children. The children's annual calendar includes information about which weekends are spent with each biological parent, so Ford can ensure that both sets of parents receive all the information he sends out. As this very excellent article points out, "For parents and stepparents to be involved with their kids, everybody needs to be informed and considered. As a teacher I think it's important not to contribute to communication problems between households."
Another article about involvement in the children's school life is How Can I Be Involved in My Child's Education? Pointing out that "studies consistently reveal that high student achievement and self-esteem are closely related to positive parental participation in education," the author continues by emphasizing that parents and schools need to work together. Some schools offer more opportunities than others for parental involvement, and some even have parents in advisory groups that offer suggestions for the school program. There are schools that encourage participation by stepparents, realizing that these adults are a major part of the children's home life.
Some of the points that are discussed in detail and things that are suggested are:
