Greeting cards are one of the simplest yet most meaningful ways to communicate appreciation, respect and, of course, well wishes. They are much more personal than an email and more lasting than a phone call. Greeting cards become treasured reminders of relationships, interactions and special moments between the student and his or family and the individual teacher.
Sending a greeting card to a teacher may seem like an old fashioned way to express gratitude or appreciation, but current research shows it is beneficial to the overall relationship. Studies also show that this positive interaction between the school and the family contributes to the overall academic performance of the child.
In 2008, the British Journal of Educational Technology reported on a study of motivational messages between students and teachers in the school environment. Usually the message would be from a teacher to her pupil, as teachers know the importance of positive, written communication. But the study suggests that this would work in the other direction as well.
When individual motivational messages are received by students, they do better overall at school. They have more confidence and get better results. Equally, when a teacher is shown consideration and appreciation, especially when this is communicated in writing, the overall quality of the educational experience will improve.
The question of trust between teach and parents has been also been examined. An American study published in the US Journal of School Psychology in 2000, found that as students progressed through the school system there was a lower level of trust.
One of the recommendations that the researchers had was to improve the quality of communication between home and school as the children moved through the school system. Sending positive messages to the teacher is one way to help to build this level of trust from day one in kindergarten. It can easily be carried through to graduation to facilitate increasing the trust between the school and parents.
In situations where the teacher only sees parents when there is a problem it is difficult to develop a strong, positive, working relationship. The research is clear that several factors of the parent-teacher relationship contribute to the educational performance of the student. Of these, the quality of parent-teacher interactions and the frequency of these interactions are described as critical predictors of positive student outcomes. Researchers were able to determine these indicators in a longitudinal study published in 1999 in the American Journal Of Community Psychology.
Setting the relationship off on a positive note and recognizing the teacher with a greeting card instead of an email, phone call or just a passing word of thanks does have its advantages. Your child will have a more effective learning experience, and you will have a stronger relationship with your child’s teacher.
You can find a really cool process for making truly personal greeting cards at Mango Salute. Looking for interesting material about art & communication, culture & religion see Melinda’s Magazine Salute the Day
